Ruling party, opposition groups to discuss reform

Sana'a: The Yemen ruling party and the four main opposition parties are to start meetings tomorrow to discuss political reforms and the formation of a national unity government, sources said yesterday.

The opposition parties accepted the President Ali Abdullah Saleh's request to meet on May 22, the 20th anniversary of unity between the south and north.

The opposition parties' main motivation to talk about reforms with the ruling party was to have the remainder of political detainees and journalists released.

Political figures and journalists had been detained after southern protests and conflict with Al Houthi rebels.

The government said it had released all journalists and more than 300 political detainees — Al Houthi supporters from the southern protests.

Discussions

However the coalition of opposition parties, Islamists, Socialists, and Nasserites are insisting all political detainees must be released as a condition for reform discussions to begin.

Hundreds from the south and from Al Houthi supporters are still in prisons, and the government said those jailed for crimes were not eligible for release on a Presidential pardon.

The reform meetings would follow an agreement reached by the parties in February, 2009, that parliamentary elections would be postponed two years from 2009 to 2011.

The delayed election would take place after constitutional, electoral and political reforms.

The factions indicated they were ready to establish harmonious relations.

Islah party leader Hamid Al Ahmar said: "We will get involved into this dialogue to solve the problems of Yemen not the problems of the regime, and we will be flexible and lenient to restore the spirit of the revolution, the republic, and unity, and establish the genuine partnership and equal citizenship."