SANA?A* Oct. 12 ? In a statement released last Wednesday* Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) vowed not to deal with the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum (SCER)* which is currently preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections due to take place in April 2009. Leaders of the opposition coalition described the commission as ?lacking legitimacy and being coercively imposed on political life in Yemen?. The statement reads* ?Since an early time* JMP has been working for the sake of carrying out a comprehensive political reform and this includes reforming the current election system in the country*? adding* ?JMP has been exerting hard efforts to suggest workable solutions through discussions and dialogue with the authority and the ruling party with the aim of conducting free and fair elections in Yemen.? The statement expressed regret that* "The authority and its ruling party* however* decided to run in the election alone* and therefore preferred to violate previous agreements they reached with other political parties." Both the authority and its party annulled the proposed amendments to the General Election Law* thereby contravening an agreement reached by both sides in this regard in ?a comic play? at Parliament. The statement also accused the government and the ruling party of violating the Parliament?s bylaw and other legal procedures taken in the electoral regard* adding that SCER exploits all the election-related laws and regulations in a way contravening democratic principles. ?As part of its national and moral responsibility and strong commitment to the ongoing struggle with people for the purpose of applying its project of comprehensive political reform* JMP found itself obliged to take a firm position not to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections if the government insists in continuing its current behavior* which will only lead to sedition*? the statement went on to say. JMP tells supporters not to participate in voter registration committees In its statement* the JMP leadership called on its branches in the various governorates* as well as grassroots and supporters in all the electoral constituencies and centers* to stick to the JMP?s position and not to deal with SCER. It instructed them not to participate in any of the voter registration committees* due to be formed by SCER* or play a role in increasing people?s electoral awareness. The opposition coalition?s leadership briefed its grassroots and supporters that participating in such ?an uncovered comic play? will mean rigging their wills* assisting corruption* insulting their human dignity* threatening the future of their children and exploiting national resources in favor of a particular group of influential individuals (implying senior government officials who are loyal with the ruling party). It adds that this "play" will enable the ruling party to stay in power and behave in a way that creates more crisis and catastrophes nationwide. From his side* head of the ruling General People?s Congress (GPC) Parliamentary Bloc Sheikh Sultan Al-Barakani told media outlets that ?the JMP requested postponing the upcoming parliamentary election more than thirty times?* adding that his party rejected this request. During the Parliament?s first meeting of its second session this year* which was held on Saturday* Al-Barakani confirmed that JMP reacted to GPC?s rejection of its request to postpone the upcoming election with repeated attempts to hinder the electoral process. The GPC official expressed concern that his party remained negotiating with JMP on political party candidates for SCER membership for three months* and after this time period* the JMP came to say that its staff hadn?t met to determine their candidates. He advised the opposition parties to resolve their own problems and not to hold the ruling party or Parliament responsible for their crisis. New JMP Chairman JMP Higher Council appointed Mr. Sultan Al-Atwani* Secretary-General of the Nasserite Unionist Popular Union* one of JMP member parties* as Chairman of the opposition coalition* succeeding the Islah Party Secretary General Abdulwahab Al-Anisi. Mohammed Al-Mansour* Head of the Political Sector at the Haq Party* another JMP member party* was appointed as JMP Spokesman* succeeding Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al-Qubati* Head of Yemeni Socialist Party?s Political Sector....

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