French Professor Franco Francospheres, an expert in constitution drafting hosted a meeting on Thursday in Sana'a of the National Center For Human Rights and Democratic Development with a panel of Yemeni judges and civil rights activists to discuss France's involvement in helping Yemen draft its new constitution.
As per provisioned by the GCC-brokered transition of power, Yemen transition government will at the end of the National Dialogue Conference draft a new constitution, according to the recommendations of the NDC, before asking the nation, through a referendum to approve the changes.
In November 2012, Patrice Paoli, Director of North Africa and the Middle East in the French Foreign Ministry made clear that France's role in the drafting of Yemen new constitution will be purely advisory, stressing his country would not try to impose a western vision on the Arab nation.
Despite promises France will not meddle in the details and only oversee the legal structure of the constitution several dignitaries already objected to the intervention of foreign powers in Yemen internal affairs, arguing the drafting of a new constitution should remain based on Islamic teachings.
Yemen's Supreme Court Judge Yahya Mohamed al-Mawri, who supports a Shariah-based constitution was quite adamant Yemen should remain true to its tradition and not allow foreign powers to pervert people's attachment to Islam and its Prophet.
Civil rights activists however welcomed France's participation, noting Yemen could benefit from the French republican experience and its legal expertise to modernize its institutions.
Back in November 2012, al-Khaleej newspaper revealed French experts sought to add an article to the constitution which will define the tasks of the military and the security services, matters warned politicians should be off-limit to foreign powers.