PGC seventh assembly concludes, insists on SalehBy: Ridwan Al-SaqqafADEN, Dec. 18 – The People’s General Conference Party concluded its seventh general assembly December 17. 5,200 delegates attended the assembly, 800 of who were w [Archives:2005/904/Front Page]
By: Ridwan Al-Saqqaf
ADEN, Dec. 18 – The People's General Conference Party concluded its seventh general assembly December 17. 5,200 delegates attended the assembly, 800 of who were women, announcing their final statement and recommendations.
President Saleh, head of the ruling party, presided over the sessions, including the final one. The president addressed the final session, congratulating the Yemeni nation on the conference's success. He assured improved Yemeni living standards as the core issue of the PGC agenda. He called on the PGC to be tolerant and abide by the law and the constitution regarding peaceful exchange of power. He advised party members to shun intrigues and observe elections as a means of obtaining presidential, parliamentary or local posts. He assured that if a candidate proved to be competent for power, the PGC wouldn't hesitate handing it over to the ruling party.
The president confirmed that he will carry out all the conference's recommendations, which were as follows:
The conference reviewed national commitment to a democratic future, realized in presidential and local elections next September. Due to the importance of these elections in deeply rooting the democratic process in Yemen, the conference requests the president to go back on his decision not to run in these elections.
The conference insists that responsibility necessitates the president to lead the nation in this decisive trend in Yemeni history. He is apt to lead the institutions of law, order and the democratic process.
The seventh assembly directs the PGC Permanent Committee to consider the following:
1- The president's endeavor to express the goals of the Yemeni September and October revolutions achieving the unity, which became a basis for democracy.
2- The PGC Permanent Committee is to bear in mind the president's refined leadership qualities, which enable him to have a deep vision that makes him unbiased when facing corruption.
3- The president's efforts exerted in fighting backwardness and his interaction with all Yemeni people.
The conference reviewed continuing financial, judicial and human rights reforms and empowerment of women. The conference recommended the expansion of legislative power by reconsidering the structure of the Consultative Council. It also recommends developing the electoral system to guarantee general, presidential and local elections. It also recognizes the role of civil society organizations as well as political parties and organizations.
The assembly praises the success of local councils in enlarging public participation and achieving decentralization. They pledge to develop it by inserting necessary amendments for it to become law. This will be realized by giving them the right to prepare their budgets and execute their development plans.
The assembly confirms the continued fight against financial and administrative corruption. It recommended promoting the principal of clean leadership and transparency in all administrative processes. It recommended forming an independent national authority for fighting corruption and issuing a corruption law, protecting public property and activating the law indicting corrupt personalities.
The tender law should be amended to appoint an independent board to make the state's purchases.
In judiciary reform, the strategy to develop and modernize the judiciary is to be carried out to achieve the following:
– Amend judiciary law to promote judiciary independence.
– Promote judiciary inspection by merging inspection authorities in the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney.
– Empower trade courts.
– Prepare a training program for judges.
– Form a professional judiciary council for judiciary affairs.
– Form specialized administrative courts.
– Issue administrative regulations to simplify procedures.
– Issue procedural and administrative regulations.
– Form an official mechanism to communicating the court's skills to the public.
– Use computers in the courts.
Regarding the issue of human rights, the assembly confirmed the promotion of its partnership with the civil societies and human rights organization working in Yemen. It confirms the improvement of education curriculum and textbooks contents. The PGC confirms the freedom of expression, publication, distribution and freedom of ownership and guarantees these liberties and their protection according to the constitution.
Regarding women's development, it set policies to develop women's participation in the representative bodies and allocate 15 percent of seats for women. Women are to be given an opportunity to occupy ministerial, diplomatic and key posts and also should be represented on the election committee. Laws should continually be revised to remove all negative forms of discrimination and violence against woman. Establishments enabling women to develop their skills should also be promoted.
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