03 June 2013
A dispute has surfaced between the General People Congress (GPC) and the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) in the Parliament. The JMP accused the GPC of "hijacking" the Parliament and temporarily suspended their participation. But what is dangerous, according to some analysts, is that this disagreement could trigger a political crisis. The GPC and JMP are the main signatories of the Gulf Initiative and, some say, they are responsible for the success of the political reconciliation. The Yemen Times met with, Zaid Al-Shami, the head of the Islah Party in Parliament, one of the key parties of the JMP, to get to the bottom of this dispute.
Is the current parliamentary session different from past sessions?
As you know, the Parliament, according to the Gulf Initiative, should focus on the mission of political reconciliation and the National Dialogue Conference. This mission means that the Parliament represents a state of reconciliation, absolutely different from the past. According to the Gulf Initiative, there is no majority or minority. The JMP and GPC are [meant to be] equal in front of all the issues posed.
But some say the Parliament is illegitimate, and others say there is a regulation that streamlines the function of the Parliament.
First, in terms of the period of the Parliament, it was over in 2009. There was an extension according to a constitutional amendment. In my opinion, the amendment was unnecessary at that time.
Why?
Because the constitution stipulates the Parliament could persist if the circumstances are not conducive to conducting elections. However [it has been agreed that the] Gulf Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism substitute the contradictive constitutional provisions. Another article of the Gulf Initiative goes that all the decisions taken [in Parliament] should be unanimous.
Did this happen?
We have the understanding to reconcile. Our brothers in the GPC still think that they should continue as the sweeping majority and the ones who rule over the situation. We have gone on pairing up because we don't want to create any problems. Yet, when the situation diverts from the reasonable scope, persistence is hard.
Do you think the pause of parliamentary sessions after signing the Gulf Initiative contributed to settling the situation down?
No. The parliament went on recess in January as usual. But its resumption was late because of matters related to approving the budget. The recess was also put off because there were not urgent issues entailing a session or a meeting. The agenda of the current sessions of Parliament lists no urgent issues in need of resolution because the NDC is in full swing and it includes about 50 parliamentarians.
Why do you not suspend your participation since the start of the current session as long as the action mechanism is disputed?
Of course, we shoulder a huge deal of the fault because of our goodwill. We wanted the Parliament to be part of the solution, not the opposite. Since the first moment, we overlooked the end of the presidium period which came to a close in February of 2012.
The majority of these committees have not been functional thus far. We overlooked the progress of the Parliament, its administration and its general secretariat. We did this in order to help the Parliament go on as per the reconciliation. We compromised and paired up. Sometimes, we disagreed.
But our brothers in the GPC want to restore the past, seeing that it is their right to resolve everything regardless of others. If any law or bill is proposed, it is supposed that we should agree on them and refer them to a specialized committee. In the reverse, when the law is proposed, they (GPC Parliament members) turn it down immediately, even before the passage of 48 hours according to the regulation of the Parliament. They agree on another law though we object. That means they have not understood the sense of partnership yet.
Do you think the delay of setting up a committee to explain the terms of the Gulf Initiative has been a reason behind the ongoing disagreement between the JMP and GPC?
Absolutely, I agree with you. This committee was supposed to be established since the start of implementing the Gulf Initiative. Anyhow, the delay of forming such a committee created problems not only in the Parliament, but also in many different aspects. I also notice another thing: neither the politicians nor the sponsors of the Gulf Initiative have given the Parliament enough attention. We attended many activities held in the presidential compound. The members of the Parliament and its presidium were unhappy about the neglect they faced.
Frankly speaking, everyone has contributed to marginalizing the role of the Parliament in this phase, including the political leadership and the president of the republic. Perhaps he thinks it is not important to resolve the disputes of the Parliament so long as things are going, and he reckons that the former-opposition is satisfied with its role at present.
What are the exact reasons that made you suspend your participation in the Parliament?
The direct reason is a bill that amends the government universities' law which the government sent to the Parliament. Such government bills are usually referred to the specialized committee to prepare a report to the Parliament. Sultan Al-Barakani, head of the General People's Congress' (GPC), Nasser Arman, head of the Independent Members' bloc and I were in a meeting with the Good Governance Committee in the NDC and didn't attend this session. Al-Barakani left in the middle of the meeting to attend the session in the Parliament. Suddenly, I received a call saying the Parliament turned upside down because this bill was voted for and the GPC's bloc rejected it and the Joint Meeting Parties' bloc (JMPs) withdrew because it wasn't given the opportunity to comment on it and deemed that great irreverence, which indicates the existence of several problems in the upcoming period. Therefore, we demanded correcting the work of the Parliament in the future.
Some say only Islah's bloc suspended participation in the Parliament?
Unfortunately, the GPC members are used to deal arrogantly with others. Although they know it's the stance of the entire JMPs, they spread through media that only the Islah party stopped attending the Parliament sessions. This is untrue and they may judge by the attendance of a member from the Nasserite Unionist People's Organization but we deal with the party as a whole which asserted they are of the same stance of the JMPs.
Did you stop attending the Parliament sessions only due to the refusal of the bill or for other reasons too?
No. Actually it's an accumulated matter. The more concessions we make, the more arrogant the GPC members become, as if they are the only members of the Parliament. We know that several blocs such as the Free Members bloc and Justice and Building bloc have left the GPC.
Do you mean the GPC invests its influence in the Parliament to oppose you following the change that took place?
First, I support the existence of the GPC either inside or outside the Parliament. We need a real political power either participating in authority or in opposition. So, since the very beginning of the 2011 revolution, all said the GPC should effectively contribute to the change process instead of being restricted to some individuals. Now the GPC is greatly contributing to the NDC and we're very pleased with that. The GPC should participate in forming the future because exclusion has caused Yemen several calamities. The Gulf Initiative stipulated the parliament should be reconciliatory run but the GPC members misunderstood reconciliation and thought we should agree with them in everything.
But some in the GPC say the main reason behind your opposition isn't the reconciliatory work but that you want to get the Parliament head's position?
First the head of the Parliament isn't a sacred position that suits only some people. The GPC has half of the ministries in the government and all state associations. Even they want the job rotation law they prepared to be implemented only among them and forgot the various qualified people who have been ignored and marginalized.
Anyway, the Parliament head's position should be reconciliatory between us because the institutional work is absent in the Parliament. For example, if any of the GPC ministers is summoned to the Parliament to be questioned, a long time passes but he doesn't attend. However, if the summoned minister belongs to the JMPs, the National Council sends him five orders to attend and he attends within the same week and eventfully everything he is accused of turn to be all wrong.
After all you said, do you think the Parliament is currently in a phase where its existence or absence is similar?
Yes. With this performance, the Parliament is only a stumbling block obstructing the political compromise. Unless the situation is improved, its existence or absence will be similar. Therefore, the JMPs may take a final attitude of the Parliament if the president and politicians didn't intervene to save the situation and include the parliament among the reconciliatory system.
Don't you have any visions to improve the situation in the Parliament?
Actually we provided several visions long time ago. A committee headed by Mohammed Al-Shadadi, deputy head of the parliament, was established and we attended several meetings and presented visions to run the Parliament but then everything was canceled and we haven't been invited to meetings. Anyway, we have a vision through which we can run the parliament in a proper way to serve neither the JMPs nor GPC but the reconciliatory period.
How will you deal with what the Parliament issues?
All decrees the Parliament issues without reconciliation will be considered null and void and the GPC's General Committee will be the source of these decrees and the parliament will no longer be a parliament.
For how long you will suspend your participation?
Until GPC members come to their senses and [recognize the legitimacy] of the Gulf Initiative they signed.
A dispute has surfaced between the General People Congress (GPC) and the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) in the Parliament. The JMP accused the GPC of "hijacking" the Parliament and temporarily suspended their participation. But what is dangerous, according to some analysts, is that this disagreement could trigger a political crisis. The GPC and JMP are the main signatories of the Gulf Initiative and, some say, they are responsible for the success of the political reconciliation. The Yemen Times met with, Zaid Al-Shami, the head of the Islah Party in Parliament, one of the key parties of the JMP, to get to the bottom of this dispute.
Is the current parliamentary session different from past sessions?
As you know, the Parliament, according to the Gulf Initiative, should focus on the mission of political reconciliation and the National Dialogue Conference. This mission means that the Parliament represents a state of reconciliation, absolutely different from the past. According to the Gulf Initiative, there is no majority or minority. The JMP and GPC are [meant to be] equal in front of all the issues posed.
But some say the Parliament is illegitimate, and others say there is a regulation that streamlines the function of the Parliament.
First, in terms of the period of the Parliament, it was over in 2009. There was an extension according to a constitutional amendment. In my opinion, the amendment was unnecessary at that time.
Why?
Because the constitution stipulates the Parliament could persist if the circumstances are not conducive to conducting elections. However [it has been agreed that the] Gulf Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism substitute the contradictive constitutional provisions. Another article of the Gulf Initiative goes that all the decisions taken [in Parliament] should be unanimous.
Did this happen?
We have the understanding to reconcile. Our brothers in the GPC still think that they should continue as the sweeping majority and the ones who rule over the situation. We have gone on pairing up because we don't want to create any problems. Yet, when the situation diverts from the reasonable scope, persistence is hard.
Do you think the pause of parliamentary sessions after signing the Gulf Initiative contributed to settling the situation down?
No. The parliament went on recess in January as usual. But its resumption was late because of matters related to approving the budget. The recess was also put off because there were not urgent issues entailing a session or a meeting. The agenda of the current sessions of Parliament lists no urgent issues in need of resolution because the NDC is in full swing and it includes about 50 parliamentarians.
Why do you not suspend your participation since the start of the current session as long as the action mechanism is disputed?
Of course, we shoulder a huge deal of the fault because of our goodwill. We wanted the Parliament to be part of the solution, not the opposite. Since the first moment, we overlooked the end of the presidium period which came to a close in February of 2012.
The majority of these committees have not been functional thus far. We overlooked the progress of the Parliament, its administration and its general secretariat. We did this in order to help the Parliament go on as per the reconciliation. We compromised and paired up. Sometimes, we disagreed.
But our brothers in the GPC want to restore the past, seeing that it is their right to resolve everything regardless of others. If any law or bill is proposed, it is supposed that we should agree on them and refer them to a specialized committee. In the reverse, when the law is proposed, they (GPC Parliament members) turn it down immediately, even before the passage of 48 hours according to the regulation of the Parliament. They agree on another law though we object. That means they have not understood the sense of partnership yet.
Do you think the delay of setting up a committee to explain the terms of the Gulf Initiative has been a reason behind the ongoing disagreement between the JMP and GPC?
Absolutely, I agree with you. This committee was supposed to be established since the start of implementing the Gulf Initiative. Anyhow, the delay of forming such a committee created problems not only in the Parliament, but also in many different aspects. I also notice another thing: neither the politicians nor the sponsors of the Gulf Initiative have given the Parliament enough attention. We attended many activities held in the presidential compound. The members of the Parliament and its presidium were unhappy about the neglect they faced.
Frankly speaking, everyone has contributed to marginalizing the role of the Parliament in this phase, including the political leadership and the president of the republic. Perhaps he thinks it is not important to resolve the disputes of the Parliament so long as things are going, and he reckons that the former-opposition is satisfied with its role at present.
What are the exact reasons that made you suspend your participation in the Parliament?
The direct reason is a bill that amends the government universities' law which the government sent to the Parliament. Such government bills are usually referred to the specialized committee to prepare a report to the Parliament. Sultan Al-Barakani, head of the General People's Congress' (GPC), Nasser Arman, head of the Independent Members' bloc and I were in a meeting with the Good Governance Committee in the NDC and didn't attend this session. Al-Barakani left in the middle of the meeting to attend the session in the Parliament. Suddenly, I received a call saying the Parliament turned upside down because this bill was voted for and the GPC's bloc rejected it and the Joint Meeting Parties' bloc (JMPs) withdrew because it wasn't given the opportunity to comment on it and deemed that great irreverence, which indicates the existence of several problems in the upcoming period. Therefore, we demanded correcting the work of the Parliament in the future.
Some say only Islah's bloc suspended participation in the Parliament?
Unfortunately, the GPC members are used to deal arrogantly with others. Although they know it's the stance of the entire JMPs, they spread through media that only the Islah party stopped attending the Parliament sessions. This is untrue and they may judge by the attendance of a member from the Nasserite Unionist People's Organization but we deal with the party as a whole which asserted they are of the same stance of the JMPs.
Did you stop attending the Parliament sessions only due to the refusal of the bill or for other reasons too?
No. Actually it's an accumulated matter. The more concessions we make, the more arrogant the GPC members become, as if they are the only members of the Parliament. We know that several blocs such as the Free Members bloc and Justice and Building bloc have left the GPC.
Do you mean the GPC invests its influence in the Parliament to oppose you following the change that took place?
First, I support the existence of the GPC either inside or outside the Parliament. We need a real political power either participating in authority or in opposition. So, since the very beginning of the 2011 revolution, all said the GPC should effectively contribute to the change process instead of being restricted to some individuals. Now the GPC is greatly contributing to the NDC and we're very pleased with that. The GPC should participate in forming the future because exclusion has caused Yemen several calamities. The Gulf Initiative stipulated the parliament should be reconciliatory run but the GPC members misunderstood reconciliation and thought we should agree with them in everything.
But some in the GPC say the main reason behind your opposition isn't the reconciliatory work but that you want to get the Parliament head's position?
First the head of the Parliament isn't a sacred position that suits only some people. The GPC has half of the ministries in the government and all state associations. Even they want the job rotation law they prepared to be implemented only among them and forgot the various qualified people who have been ignored and marginalized.
Anyway, the Parliament head's position should be reconciliatory between us because the institutional work is absent in the Parliament. For example, if any of the GPC ministers is summoned to the Parliament to be questioned, a long time passes but he doesn't attend. However, if the summoned minister belongs to the JMPs, the National Council sends him five orders to attend and he attends within the same week and eventfully everything he is accused of turn to be all wrong.
After all you said, do you think the Parliament is currently in a phase where its existence or absence is similar?
Yes. With this performance, the Parliament is only a stumbling block obstructing the political compromise. Unless the situation is improved, its existence or absence will be similar. Therefore, the JMPs may take a final attitude of the Parliament if the president and politicians didn't intervene to save the situation and include the parliament among the reconciliatory system.
Don't you have any visions to improve the situation in the Parliament?
Actually we provided several visions long time ago. A committee headed by Mohammed Al-Shadadi, deputy head of the parliament, was established and we attended several meetings and presented visions to run the Parliament but then everything was canceled and we haven't been invited to meetings. Anyway, we have a vision through which we can run the parliament in a proper way to serve neither the JMPs nor GPC but the reconciliatory period.
How will you deal with what the Parliament issues?
All decrees the Parliament issues without reconciliation will be considered null and void and the GPC's General Committee will be the source of these decrees and the parliament will no longer be a parliament.
For how long you will suspend your participation?
Until GPC members come to their senses and [recognize the legitimacy] of the Gulf Initiative they signed.
© Yemen Times 2013
