Suggestion to exclude main parties from registration committees [Archives:2006/925/Front Page]

By: Mustafa Rajeh
SANA'A, Feb.28 – The Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) announced at a press conference its decision to form registration committees from civil service job applicants. The decision is set for implementation.

The SCER made the decision at a conference held at the beginning of the week during which it approved a series of procedures, the most important of which is forming a joint work team in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Service.

The team is due to work according to a coordination mechanism set by the SCER to implement its decision concerning forming committees from university and high school graduates applying for civil service jobs to revise and modify voter registers.

The SCER approved forming a higher supervisory committee to be presided over by its chairman and his deputy, while its sector heads are to be appointed committee members.

Independent MP Ahmad Saif Hashed said, “The ruling party should accept opposition's demands, as the main objective is conducting free and fair elections. But what is being practiced by the ruling party and the SCER increases opposition concerns and shakes confidence in SCER's ability to run free and fair polls.”

Hashed considers violations practiced in the Raima constituency a hint of what will occur in upcoming elections.

Ali Al-Sarari, member of the Yemeni Specialist Party's political office, said, “In light of its recent decision concerning forming registration committees, the SCER seems to inaugurate vote fraud, as the registration stage is the basis for the whole election process.”

“As there is no confidence in the voter registration process, there is no need to talk about free and fair elections,” he added.

Regarding procedures taken by the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), Al-Sarari declared his rejection of the procedures, demanding a voter register free of children, the dead, repeat names and multi-faced individuals.

He added that opposition parties still should discuss a complete program to raise their political struggle to confront vote fraud, particularly as the phenomenon has been repeated several times.

According to Al-Sarari, the same demands still persist, as no progress has been achieved with respect to availability of fair requirements and equivalence in the electoral process.

In a meeting aired on Yemeni television, ruling party assistant secretary general Sultan Al-Barakani said the door to dialogue still is open on condition the legal registration period must not be breached. He mentioned that the registration process must be completed six months before the poll.

Al-Barakani pointed out that ruling party leaders suggest withdrawal of their party and Islah, leaving responsibility to the other parties to form registration committees, if the opposition would accept such a proposal.

He indicated that opposition parties have prolonged the issue to put Yemen in a state of anarchy, thus hampering the poll. “Through their policy, opposition parties machinated postponement of elections by Parliament for three months, but this will never happen since we want to conduct the elections on time,” Al-Barakani affirmed.

In a statement to 26 September Net, the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen revealed his country's interest in Yemen conducting free and fair elections. His deputy, Nabil Khori, confirmed in an interview with Al-Sahwah that the U.S. supports opposition demands to achieve SCER's staff balance.

JMP spokesman Mohamed Qahtan vented his anger at the SCER, demanding its members be imprisoned for committing massive violations against the Constitution and the law. According to him, the SCER transfers voter names from one constituency to another while the Constitution stipulates that the SCER's seven members must be neutral.

JMP spokesman Mohamed Qahtan vented his anger at the SCER, demanding its members be imprisoned for committing massive violations against the Constitution and the law. According to him, the SCER transfers voter names from one constituency to another while the Constitution stipulates that the SCER's seven members must be neutral.
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