In preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections, GPC decided last month to keep the former Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) in place after it had failed to convince opposing Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) to name their new candidates to serve in SCER once they are approved by President Saleh.

Despite the different concessions made by the GPC for placating the JMP, the latter failed to respond to these concessions and several observers assure that  it was the result of splitting among the opposition coalition.

Unlike the Islamist Islah Party that was ready to submit the list, the coalition member Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) was unpleased about elections law amendments and further rejected to propose its names for joining the SCER, conditioning that authorities release some of its members trialed over inciting sedition and unrest in the country before it decides to participates.

Opposition parties are differ over women's participation, as Islah Party itself is divided over women's quota, especially when leading Islah scholars like Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Zindani, also Rector of Al-Eman University, opposed women's quota and issued a leaflet on the matter during their last public meeting held last July at the Virtue Protection Authority conference.

The abandoned amendments include preventing government officials from using their influence to affect the vote, and confining the registration of electors to their place of birth or residence while ruling out the place of work.

According to the GPC Acting Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Akwa'a, such attitudes by the main opposition coalitions forced the GPC to hasten forming the SCER, especially when time and constitutional entitlements are approaching.

In a meeting held last Tuesday night and involved preachers and pressmen, Al-Akwa'a pointed out that his party spared no effort for ensuring the participation of opposition forces despite the fact that they have overwhelming majority in parliament which allows them to form the SCER without seeking alliance of others.

He further hinted that such concessions were made at President Saleh's directives, especially when he is keen enough about involving other parties in all constitutional entitlements.

JMP: years of political corruption

In a paper distributed to the participant last Tuesday and entitled "JMP: Years of Political Corruption", GPC pointed out that opposition parties, especially since 1997, have failed to convince the Yemeni voter as for the validity of their proposed programs and visions, stressing this was evidenced by repeated failures during the different elections rounds held in the country.

The paper stressed that JMP achieved no success save their rivaling in the presidential elections held in 2006, hinting the coalition today lives a very hard situation and could cause it to break up detailing out the different reasons for their failure.

It considered the different ideological backgrounds of these parties and it failure to provide catchy and new programs as well as the outdated media address to be among the reasons that lead them to splitting.

Regarding what they call the JMP's attempts to hamper the different parliamentary, local and presidential elections conducted as of 1993, the paper noted that the pre-political reconciliations over 1993 parliamentary elections made opposition parties resort to political deals through pressurizing the country's leadership and its different governments for achieving political gains.

The same thing happened during the different elections conducted in the country; however, the keenness of the political leadership helped resolve the different crisis they created, mostly by forcing more concessions in the part of the ruling party, GPC.

The paper further referred to the last elections of governors when the members of opposition parties in Al-Dhal'e province directed a hurting blow to their parties because they actively participated in elections overlooking boycotting calls by their parties' leaders.

Likewise, JMP seemed more confused as they were unsure about whether they will participate or boycott the forthcoming elections, hinting that it is a clear sign of differences among these parties.

The paper also criticized opposition parties for distorting the image of security and army institutions and picturing them as if they are working for the government, the ruling party and the president, no the country.

It also referred to the constant attempts by JMP to seek empowerment from outside parties, considering this to be one type of political corruption practiced by opposition parties.

In this regard, the paper also cited Socialist leader Yahya Abu Ausba' actions that demanded the Americans to use their influence for pressuring donor countries to halt their support under the pretext of not responding to JMP demands.

It mentioned that JMP is launching campaigns that doubt the constitutional institutions in an effort to draw a passive image in citizens' eyes about state institutions, making them later mistrust such institutions and prevent their contribution in society building.

Meanwhile, the paper stressed that JMP's political corruption lies in their dealings with judicial rulings as they get pleased when a ruling is made in their favor. If not in their side, then they accuse the judiciary of being corrupt, partial and unjust, hinting they are seeking to release people jailed over criminal charges.

It further revealed that JMP adopted political stances that do not serve the country overarching interests and helped incite and foment sedition and rebellion as was the case with the Houthi insurrections.