A number of political analysts have for months declared the existence of a political crisis between the ruling party, the General People Congress (GPC) and opposition parties represented by the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) prior to the parliamentary elections due to be conducted on April 2009.

President Saleh's recent heated speeches directed to the JMP and the protests they call for, which add up to more than 50 in southern provinces, disclose part of the crisis. JMP considers the 'South Yemen Issue' to be the gate for a comprehensive political reform.

The crisis came to surface following the presidential and local elections conducted on September 2006 in which GPC won an overwhelming victory over the JMP.

Upon his recent visit to Amran, Saleh announced that constitutional amendments will be referred to parliament next month. These amendments dictate passing wide authorities to local councils, enhancing the popular participation through allowing them to elect the governors and heads of districts, electing equal numbers for Shoura Council in each province and having a bicameral system. Moreover, Shoura Council will be granted more constitutional authorities.

JMP stresses the importance of reforming the ruling system, the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER), electoral registry. In return, President Saleh surprised his opponents by proposing an advanced initiative aiming to reform the presidential system and called for dialogue with opposition parties to agree over a certain system to be adopted after being balloted by people.

Later, a series of meetings were held and involved GPC and JMP as well as other opposition parties; however, JMP boycotted these meetings after they managed not to reach an accepted solution with GPC especially in matters relating to the formation of SCER.

Several lawyers assure that there should be thorough amendments of the constitution through a committee selected from all political forces, independent and legal parties.

In his recent speech, Saleh pointed out that some people are afraid of local governance because it has not openly included the opposition parties and hinted that the local governance is the magical solutions to all problems and difficulties the country faces right now.

JMP are following different techniques to force their policies on the ruling party especially when the parliamentary elections are approaching, and they hint they will boycott these elections in case their demands, including the formation of SCER, were not met.

Head of Media Circle at GPC Tareq Al-Shami sees the stances of JMP to be a retraction from the agreement of principles signed between both sides in the past especially with the structure of SCER which dictates forming the commission from judges with two other members from Islah and Nasserite Parties.

Al-Shami added the retraction of the JMP has hindered the performance of the SCER who is supposed to conduct complementary elections in some vacant seats resulting from the death of their occupants.

Observers assure that JMP will participate in the elections but through making deals with the ruling party, hinting the former will employ price hikes and economic deterioration as well as the failures of GPC and rampage of corruption to attract voters to its side.

They declare as well that GPC will not be in a good position during the coming elections; however, opposition parties will not be better especially when they fail to provide alternatives and solutions to the current deteriorating economic situation.