President says anti-landmines draft law must imply punishment

SANA’A,(Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh has criticized, in a letter sent to the Parliament, the draft law banning landmines as approved by council last December 14, saying it doesn’t imply punishment for violations. President Saleh’s letter, read in the parliament in Sunday’s session, wanted the draft law banning production, possession and selling of anti-personnel landmines to specify a penalty for people who fail to hand over the landmines to the authorities. “This article doesn’t imply a penalization of violation,” reads the letter in comment on the article that states: ‘Whoever possesses or produce an anti-personnel landmines must have it delivered to the concerned agencies for destruction within a month of the law enforcement.’ “As for the one-month as a final proposition for handing over landmines, President Saleh’s letter said it is so short for even authorities to be ready for receiving the consigned landmines.” In return, the Parliament referred the letter of President Saleh to the Committee of Security and Defense to study it and then report about it to the council. AA/NSSABA