Politic al Parties Series # 7

Starting with issue number 4 of January 25th, 1999, Yemen Times is running
weekly profiles of the political parties of Yemen. We print the information as received from the parties. The aim is to inform the public - local and international.

The PGC: Background
The People's General Congress (PGC) was launched on August 24th, 1982. The PGC describes itself as a political organization of the people created to continue the march of the Yemeni national movements and unity. It is governed by democracy at all levels and structures. The National Charter, the PGC's ideological reference, guides and directs the party's objectives, programs and performance.

Here are its broad guidelines:
1- The PGC adheres to and works through the principles of the Yemeni revolution and the Constitution. It is committed to the defense of the country's unity, sovereignty, independence, the republican system and the national achievements.

2- The PGC adheres to democracy, political pluralism and the peaceful exchange of government powers. It works for the creation of the state of law and order common in the civil society and to eliminate all forms of backwardness.

3- Membership in the PGC is open to all Yemenis who meet the following requirements:
- a minimum age of 18 years;
- The applicant not belong to any other political organization or party, nor can be associated with an organization or society which contradicts the principles of the PGC.
Structure of the Party

1- The General Conference:
The General Conference is the PGC's highest authority. During its 4-year term, the GC convenes in two regular rounds, of which one is an election round. The GC can be invited to convene for an extra round upon a request from the PGC's president or a request from two thirds of the members of the permanent committee or a request from two thirds of the GC members.

2- The PGC's Chairman:
The chairman of the party is responsible for instructing and monitoring all PGC activities and policies, based on the PGC's rules and constituents.

3- The Organizational & Financial Inspection Committee:
This is a seven member committee elected by the GC. This committee is accountable to the chairman and works under his supervision.

4- The Permanent Committee
The PC is a leadership body responsible for streamlining the PGC's works and policies during the sessions of the GC. The PC consists of 501 persons elected from among the members through a secret ballot. Certain party executives gain automatic membership to the PC due to their posts.
The PC meets every 6 months. Extraordinary meetings can also be held as requested by the chairman or the secretary general or as proposed by a third of the PC members.

5- The General Committee:
The PGC's politburo is known as the General Committee. It follows up the implementation of decisions, plans, programs and policies approved by the permanent committee and the General Conference. The General Committee meets every month and consists of 31 members.

6- The General Secretariat:
The GS is the executive body of the party. It is responsible for carrying out the daily work and routines of the party in all fields. The GS consists of:
The Secretary General.
Assistant Secretary Generals.
Heads of Departments.

7- The Secretary General:
He is the chief executive officer of the party. He is responsible for administration and management of all PGC activities. He is charged with following up implementation of plans, programs and organizational decisions.

8- Assistant Secretary Generals:
Six assistant secretary-general assist the secretary-general.

9- Specialized Departments:
The PGC has nine departments for the following fields:
-- Organizational Affairs.
-- Political & Foreign Relations.
-- Finance & Administration.
-- NGOs.
-- Ideology, Culture & Media.
-- Economics & Services.
-- Guidance & Orientation.
-- Female Issues.
-- Youth and Students.
Each of the above departments is divided into a number of sections and offices.

10- The Parliamentary Block:
It consists of PGC MPs.

11- The Ministerial Body:
It consists of PGC members who are appointed ministers, deputy ministers, the Central Bank Governor, the chairman of the Central Organization for Control and Audit, chairman of the Political Security Organization, Director General of the Presidential Office, and the Director general of the Cabinet office.

The General Conferences
Since it was founded in 1982, the PGC has held five General Conferences as follows:
The first conference was held in Sanaa, during 24-30 August 1982.
The second was held in Sanaa during 21-23 August, 1984.
The third was held in Sanaa during 25-30 August, 1986.
The fourth was held in Sanaa during 12-15 November, 1988.
The fourth (second round) conference was held in Sanaa in August 1990. This lasted for 3 days and was attended by all PC members in the country (following the reunification of Yemen).
The fifth general conference was held (first round) in Sanaa, during 25 June-02 July 1995.
The fifth GC (second round) was held in Sanaa, during 24-26 August 1997.
Preparations are under way to hold the first round of the Sixth Conference soon.

Rules & Principles
The PGC is committed to the following:
- To Islam as a creed and Sharai'h.
- To faith in Allah (God), the country, the revolution, and unity.
- To adhere to the republican system and to consolidate national unity.
- To respect the constitution and to implement the peaceful transfer of power.
- To adhere to democracy and political pluralism and to guarantee the right of expression in all forms, to respect national and responsible opposition and to protect human rights.
- The Judiciary is an independent authority and a cornerstone in building a modern state.
- The family is the basic cell in the social structure, and its values are based on the Islamic religion and national ethics.
- Women are the other half of society and discrimination based on differences in sex are not justified. Nor can these differences justify the absence of women from active public life.
- Economic freedom is essential for harnessing the creative energies of the individual and for promoting rapid economic growth.
- To adopt local administration systems to expand public participation in public life, in cooperation with central authorities.
- To safeguard the citizen's national and private freedoms, to protect him (her) against unfair aggression and not to allow house-breaking or putting him under surveillance, and to protect him against arbitrary arrest or detention beyond the judicial power of the court of law.
- To ensure public rights and freedoms and to respect freedom of the press and expression of opinion, and to guarantee the right of creating institutions of civil society (NGOs) such as societies and syndicates according to the constitution and the law.
- Social justice and equality are fundamental for achieving social solidarity and peace.
- To categorically prevent the exploitation of public service and funds for personal ends.
- To stress commitment to honest and constructive political competition.
- To keep the military and security institutions away from partisan conflict and to underscore their role as a symbol of national unity and the people's tool in defending constitutional legitimacy.

PGC Stretches Its Hand to Other Players
- The courageous step taken by our country to adopt plural democracy as a system of government poses a real challenge in order to build a successful democratic system that combines political pluralism and economic efficiency. In this regard the PGC will, in cooperation and coordination with the other political parties and organizations, embark on efforts to reach a working political charter relying on the common denominators which form the principles and ethics of democratic practice.
- Effective political upgrading requires a great deal of courage and initiative based on self-assessment and self-control and to shun egotistical actions. This can be achieved only through realization that the national concern is one whole unit. The prevalence of the spirit of tolerance among the different political powers is essential for a healthy democratic practice in the present as well as in the future.

It is in this light that the PGC embarks on continuous dialogue with all local partners and regional and international friends.