Yemeni Journalist Syndicate postpones its general assembly to November 22

The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate’s council (YJS) announced last week the postponement of their Fourth General Assembly until November 22, to allow for more discussion of the syndicate branches and other issues linked to the assembly meeting.

The council approved a timeline for considering a number of issues during the interim period. These included settling the issues raised by syndicate branches relating to the deferred membership, and the re-appraisal of membership applications pursuant to the internal bylaws as stated in a communiqué issued by the YJS. This postponement came in response to the protest of many applicants who were denied the syndicate membership.

The timetable also includes the follow up of job description approvals with the relevant authorities, press law preparation and internal syndicate bylaw’s amendments. 

There are other issues on the timetable including the journalist code of honor to be presented in draft form for discussion at the central and branch level, as well as the revision of present membership lists, and implementing the third conference resolutions, which included the general report, and the freedom and financial reports.

Due to this postponement, candidates who applied for the post of head of the syndicate and for the board membership posts are to re-submit their applications during the period October 7-10, 2008. 

The statement finally called on all syndicate members to show positive reactions towards these decisions in order to promote the syndicate’s unity and interests as well as ensuring professional values and the independence of the press.

In the same context, in a survey done by Yemeni Satellite Channels among journalist last week, all agreed that the syndicate and its council members have to get rid of any political affiliation and put the interest of the syndicate first.

Some journalists criticized the performance of the syndicate council and said that it did not play its role effectively, and that it has dealt with journalist issues selectively. However, member of the syndicate’s council Hamdi al-Bokari denied this and said that the syndicate deals with all issues and problems that journalists face fairly, without prejudice.

Head of the Syndicate, Nasser Taha Mustafa, in an interview with September 26 newspaper, the mouthpiece of the military, said that the problem that was raised recently about membership lies in the text of the Syndicate’s Basic Bylaw, to be amended in the upcoming assembly. 

The description of ‘journalists’ in the Syndicate’s Basic Bylaw does not include broadcast journalists, photojournalists, and online journalists and is mostly centered on print journalists.

“Yemen is a new democracy and there is sometimes confusion between political affiliation and professionalism. In my union work I have to side with the profession and put it at the top of my priority,” said Mustafa. 

Mustafa then talked about the issues that will be discussed in the upcoming assembly. They will include the draft law projects that are nearly ready, the press law, the code of honor, and a job description that will be presented to the Ministry of Civil Service. In addition, the syndicate will work on amending its internal bylaw, improving the financial situation of the Syndicate via finding other sources of revenues. One of the suggestions is to allocate a proportion of media outlets advertisements revenues for the syndicate.   

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