Home > Reports
In Preparation for Heated Elections Season; GPC & JMP Exchange Accusations through Media
  Written By: Abdul Rahim Al-Showthabi (YEMEN POST)
  Article Date:
September 08, 2008

 

 

Opposition leaders considered the accusations published against them in the ruling party’s media outlets as impolite and unrealistic, as they assure that they entirely refuse the ruling party's way of ruling the country.

Head of the Yemeni Observatory for Human Rights (YOHR) Dr. Mohammed Al-Mikhlafi condemned the ruling party’s (GPC) media accusations against opposition parties, considering such accusations as incitement and fraternal politics that would lead the country to a break up. He also called on opposition parties to confront these accusations with forgiving and brotherly policies, rather than treating the ruling party in the same way. Further, Al-Mikhlafi assured that the hate and incitement must be avoided by the official media.

Last week, the 26 September governmental newspaper accused the opposition for hurting the country, and having a hidden agenda that is against the country and not with it. Meanwhile, Executive Director of (HOOD) human rights organization Khalid Al-Anesi considered the accusations against opposition parties as a rejection to the political pluralism in the country, and a sign of dictatorship.

Yemeni Socialist Party' senior advisor Ali Al-Sarari claimed that authorities in the ruling party are the main obstacle behind any serious setbacks that hurt democracy in Yemen, as he describes them as a rock in the way for the country to follow democratic rule.

In return to the governmental media attacks, the (JMP) media represented by Al-Sahwa Newspaper considered (GPC's) media as impolite, calling for amnesty dialogue to save the country from falling apart.

The GPC report accused  JMP's leaders for disrupting the formation of the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER), pointing out that the JMP are the ones who intentionally crippled the formation of the(SCER), even after most of its key difference points were agreed upon. It further accused the JMP for standing behind the crisis in Sada'a and the problems that took place in some southern governorates.

Meanwhile, JMP accused the ruling party of closing dialogue doors before opposition parties, saying that GPC overturned the legal demands of South Yemen citizens, and counter nonviolent moves with cruel and illegal practices.

In its statement, JMP also affirmed that the GPC has a habit to accuse others for its mistakes, and is not surprised to hear that the ruling party is blaming them for the country's problems, instead of blaming itself.

A number of political observers mention that the GPC has not been taken serious actions to conduct free elections, adding that conducting the forthcoming elections without the JMP's participations would lead the country to a political crisis.   

The entire elections crisis started last year when new members had to be chosen for the election committee (SCER). Choosing new members was not simple, as opposition parties were not happy with previous (SCER) members, claiming that they used to always favor the (GPC).

In 1990, the percentage of each party representative in the (SCER) was decided by its number of members in parliament. The plan was to make an independent commission, unfortunately, the crisis still continues.