Joint Meeting Parties voices demands during Taiz sit-in

Citizens protest against prices hikes calling for unity reforms.

The Joint Meeting Parties in Taiz organized a sit-in last Saturday which coincided with the 40th anniversary of November the 30th festival, which confirmed their belief in unity and their aspirations to achieve its objectives. The protesters demanded the return of prices to their pre-presidential election day rates; for the return of those forcibly deported from public office, both civilian and military, and called on the government to provide real jobs for the unemployed. They also demanded that the government stop offering amendments to electoral democracy which are empty of any content and provide no real change.

Former Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, Mr.Ali Saleh Obad, demanded the restoration of the unity which was affected by the war in the summer of  1994. “Authorities that have abused power have harmed the unity that has long been dreamed of by Yemeni citizens,” he said, “we say to those who brag of patriotism and talk about national interests, that the traitors are known to the people who are aware of this lack of attention to their issues and their rights.We have lost more than 13 years calling the authorities for comprehensive national reconciliation to address the crisis resulting from the war, but they have not responded.” The authorities had spent time in the past looking for things that could keep citizens busy and away from important issues, Obad added. 

The governor of Taiz, Mr. Sadeq Amin Abu Ras, denied reports of a man killed during the sit-in by security forces, but confirmed that one man had been injured during their separate campaign to ban arms. The authorities did help the JMP in their organization of the sit-in and allowed them to have their event in the stadium of al-Olfi. Abu Ras also denied that the authorities have increased checkpoints in the roads to forbid citizens from participating in the festrival of the 40th anniversary of November the 30th.  

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