Press Review [Archives:2001/08/Press Review]

”Why We Reject Constitutional Amendments?” was the title of an article written by Dr. Aydous Nassr Nasser in Ath-Thawri weekly, organ of YSP, 12 Feb. 2001.
The author says that the authority has as usual strongly insisted on passing the constitutional amendments and putting them to referendum, refusing to listen to the opinions of political forces and the advice of friends. The authority has been betting on several factors for passing what it wants and backing off from the democratic approach which was established by the constitution of May 22,19990.
The most important thing the authority is fighting against is the state of frustration and despair from which the masses suffer due to the government’s failing economic and social policies, doctoring electorate votes and the use of the policy of carrot and stick with opposition forces.
Rulers have the right to work for staying in power and decision-making positions, but let them do it through ways that showing just the least amount of respect for daily statements praising ”democracy” and ” freedom of expression and human rights”.
We ask the rulers to stop their fallacies and to frankly announce their intention of clinging to power indefinitely. On our part we are adherent to the rights, freedoms and democratic climates brought by the May 22 unity. On February 20 the masses will go out to announce their ”No” to the amendments that would devour their rights, freedoms and hopes.
Al-Mithaq weekly, organ of the People’s General Congress Party, February 12, 2001.
Dr Abdulaziz al-Maqaleh wrote an article titled ” Democracy Contrary to Fanaticism” saying nowadays the people are preparing for elections of local councils but we should not forget fanaticism, the enemy which breaks up efforts and decreases potential.
The writer maintains that democracy takes expression by exterminating fanaticism giving the citizen the right to be an affiliate of the political party he wants and to choose in elections the person who he thinks is able to achieve the goals he believes in.
No doubt the people who are now witnessing the candidacy race and the polling race are waiting for a deeper and more comprehensive race in development and production. As democracy opens the doors wide for the citizen to experience his freedom, it does the same thing for exploring capabilities and developing achievements.
Al-Ihya’a Al-Arabi weekly , organ of the Arab Baath Socialist Party, February 12, 2001.
The weekly’s editorial theme is devoted to the state of war between the Arabs and Muslims o the one hand and the U.S. and Zionist entity on the other.
The editorial says the Arab nation and Muslim peoples have the right to consider themselves in a state of war with both the U.S. and Zionist entity, in addition to all forces and states supporting them in their continuous crimes against the Arabs and Muslims. For more than 50 years the United States and its entity in Palestine have been waging a real war on the Arabs and Muslims, inflicting heavy damage on the nation and her future generations as well as killing millions of her sons who refuse this hegemony and colonization. This situation makes it imperative to stand up to this American-Zionist war to protect the nation and safeguard her rights to the land and wealth.
After reviewing a good number of the crimes, conspiracies and wars waged by the U.S and the Zionist entity for more than fifty years, the editorial comes to a conclusion by saying that it is a war declared and begun by the United States. Apart from and away from the regimes that accepted submission to the American ghoul for the purpose of keeping their power and interests, the masses of our Arab nation and Islamic peoples have the right to announce their confrontation with the American aggression. They have the right to confront war with war wherever they are and to render American interests in all fields as their targets. This is a right guaranteed by all human and international agreements and norms as a self-defence right and in defence of rights and existence.
The continued American aggression against the Arabs will not stop unless the United States feels that its policy could damage its interests and the future of its relations with the Arabs and Muslims.   Al-Ayyam weekly, February 14, 2001.
Abdulaziz bin Braik has written an article titled ÔÕ Elections Platform WarÕÕ. He says that it comes to the mind of the citizen following up the ongoing elections process in our country, that most of the election platforms made by the political parties and the group of independents are programs to be implemented as soon as this party or that has won in the elections. It is a matter creating a dream for the citizen while on his way to the polling stations to cast his vote. The citizen would dream that the candidate he was going to cast his vote for would work for improving his living conditions and building schools, hospitals and health units. He will guarantee free treatment and education, reduced taxes, building roads and low prices for foodstuffs..etc. Such promises put forward by some candidates represent a temporary dose, creating a state of fantasy for the citizen. Though I do not feel pessimistic towards the election platforms of some parties or independent candidates for the local election, exaggeration in drawing up elections programs by some candidates sometimes causes the citizen to feel frustrated and disappointed when he perceives the impossibility of realizing what has been promised.    The supreme committee of the elections should work out legislations organising elections platforms that are practical and possible to implement.
RAY weekly, organ of Sons of Yemen League, Feb.13, 2001.
An article by Fawzi al-Kahili says that it is really regrettable to deal with the citizen as merely an election vote. This attitude is not confined to the authority but also to the opposition that has confirmed this wrong and unjust concept which caused great harm to the opposition itself. The citizen has perceived this concept and stood against it by disagreeing with the opposition despite his hatred towards the authority because he has seen in both of them two faces of the same coin.
The problem of the simple Yemeni citizen with Yemeni political parties is that he has not found, and will not find, the party that practically meets his ambitions and will be close to him in all times, not only during election seasons. As a result party work in our country appears in its ugliest form, though it could have presented a democratic example worthy to be followed by a number of countries in the region. At the same time party work could have established forums for the citizens, particularly the ordinary ones, to demand their rights and for parties to realize the simplest of their dreams and finally to provide them with services and help as much as possible.

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