Parliament Turns Down Presidents Suggestion on CA [Archives:2000/46/Front Page]

Majority of the parliament turned down on Saturday a decision by President Saleh to cancel a suggestion of extending presidency term to 7 years which was added to the amendments draft by MPs last September. MPs justify their stance by the current developments and circumstances the country is passing through.
The decision of MPs followed a heated discussion of a letter from the President last Saturday. The letter confirms the patriotic necessities for the constitutional amendments. President Saleh expressed his thanks for MPs who included a suggestion to extend presidency term to 7 years and said; ..for many considerations related to respect for the supreme interest of our country and enhancement of the democratic experience I insist on canceling this decision.
The presidents request and the refusal of the majority of the parliament coincided with an amounting heated debate between the People General Congress (PGC) and Yemen Congregation for Reform (Islah) on the constitutional amendments, specially after the latter appeared as an opposer to the amendments. The PGC seems trying to attract supporters of its recent position against limiting authorities of the parliament.
Opposition parties including Islah and the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) had brought a letter before the president to postpone amendments. This issue concerns all people of Yemen and the future of political system, reads the letter. Hence it needs to be carefully discussed with the participation of political powers, the letter adds. In response to this stance the PGC looked upon it as an unjustified backsliding of Islahs earlier agreement with the PGC.
Mouthpieces of the ruling party accused the Islah and YSP of being two sides of the same coin of opposition that lacks any clear vision towards peoples interests.
Political analysts considered the Presidents latest step as a tactical move to change the suggestion into a debatable issue. It is worth mentioning that extension of the presidency term was included by Islah and was announced in the parliament by head of the Islah bloc Mr. Ahmad Sharafaddin.
The constitutional amendments were presented by President Saleh on September 23 following the blasphemy campaign Sheikh Zindani head of al-Shoura Council of Islah led against minister of Information and a number of official newspapers particularly al-Thaqafiah. This portended a political crisis between Islah and PGC before a reconciliation meeting was sponsored by the Vice President and included minister of information and Sheikh Zindani.

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