Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
Posted in:
Editorials
Written By: Mohammed al-Kibsi*
Article Date: Feb 3, 2011 - 8:40:08 PM
Yemenis proved they are civilized and that democracy in Yemen is being entrenched. The demonstrations and rallies organized by both the opposition parties or those organized by the ruling party and government supporters all ended peacefully without any single incident. The opposition parties took to the streets to protest what they alleged life term presidency and hereditary rule as well as to prevent constitutional amendments that they themselves had called for. They also protested what they called unilateral procedures adopted by the ruling party for holding elections in April in defiance of the 2010 February agreement. However the president of the republic Ali Abdullah Saleh announced to a gathering of members of the parliament and Shoura councils as well as members of the cabinet ministers, religious scholars and commanders of the military and security forces to cancel the proposed constitutional amendments, postpone April elections and that he would not nominate himself for the coming presidential term and that he opposes hereditary rule. He also called on the opposition parties to resume dialogue and called on the four member committee that is comprised of two memabers from the ruling party and two members from the opposition parties to convene soon to resume dialogue and discuss the formation of a national unity government that supposed to organize the upcoming legislative elections. Saleh also reiterated on reforming the voters’ registry and to register the new voters that reached he legal age as voters. On Monday the government also announced a number of economic reforms including raising the state employees’ salaries by 30 percent, exempting university students from fees, reducing income salaries by 30-40 percent, employing 25 percent of university graduates and adding half a million cases of social insurance. The political and economic reforms were highly appreciated by the majority of the Yemeni people who flocked to the streets to express their support for the president and to express their rejections to any sabotage acts by the opposition elements that insisted on demonstrating despite that the president had announced achieving all their demands. To prove the democratic right of freedom of protesting and gathering and to avoid any clashes between the protesters and the police there were no presence for security forces on the streets where the opposition rallied. What distinguishes Yemen from Tunisia and Egypt is democracy. Yemen is a democracy, the president is elected, the parliament is elected, and the opposition has representatives in the parliament. There is freedom of press and expression that is guaranteed by the constitution. There are also no political prisoners whatsoever. Both the opposition and the ruling party are both seeking to bring further democracy to Yemen.
Mohammed al-Kibsi Editor in Chief of Yemen Observer
alkibsi@yobserver.com or kibsi_j@hotmail.com