Ruling Party says JMPs uncooperative on February Agreement, national dialog

SANA’A, Feb. 06 (Saba) – The political advisor to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Abdul Karim al-Eryani, said on Saturday that the Joint Meeting Parties, an opposition coalition, had refused to cooperate and establish a mechanism for implementing the February 23 agreement. The agreement was signed by the Ruling Party and other parliamentary blocs for delaying 2009 parliamentary elections until April 2011. In a press conference in Sana’a Ruling Party’s second in command displayed the phases of the dialog with the JMPs on the agreement and obstacles that faced its implementation until President Saleh called on Eid al Adha for a national dialog. The JMPs refused all proposals put forward by the Ruling Party to reach a mechanism for the agreement, including the last one that was for preparing for the national dialog according to the February 23 agreement, he said. He also accused the JMPs of attempting to make the political legitimacy invalid and replace it with a national consultation committee. ‘We were surprised that the JMPs placed conditions that the Ruling Party should sign the agreement with the committee as their representative,’ he said, citing the parties as saying: we are the committee and the committee is us. The Ruling Party is keen on resuming the dialog with the parties, he said, pointing out that the minute proposed by the Ruling Party for a national dialog under the February agreement can be signed today, tomorrow and at any moment. The minute includes the formation of a joint committee from all parties to prepare and arrange for the dialog, he said. The minute calls for that the committee deliberates with other political forces and parties and civil society organizations without any exception within preparations for the dialog and with the aim of brining all into it. The committee must also work on preparing a national dialog program transparently, on condition it convenes for the first time in Sana’a at a place agreed by all, he said. The final provision in the minute affirms that the parties that would sign it will stick to lawful responsibilities for holding parliamentary elections in April 2011 on time and according to the second and third terms of the February agreement, he concluded.FRSaba