-- Issue's Editorial
The opposition parties represented in the Coordination Council, have proved their ability to overcome the state of confusion in their political relationships to establish a new tradition characterized by mutual confidence. They have also given an excellent example of burying their political and egotistical considerations to step on the way of self-denial to promote the country's interests and the public service. With this unprecedented move the Yemeni opposition has embarked upon the arduous path of struggle and strife. It has also come as an expression of ideas cherished by many political activists inside or outside the Coordination Council who have been long waiting for such a step which were proposed in 1993 but failed due to the political circumstances at that time.
More importantly, this decision will eliminate the state of ambiguity among the masses who have been emotionally and intellectually unstable regarding the role and mission of the opposition. This state of doubt has created in the masses a feeling of frustration reflected in their flimsy political involvement. Now this decision will kindle in them the necessary fire to stand up courageously against the regime and its different political bodies.

-- Issue's Editorial
This week President Ali Abdullah Saleh begins his twenty second year as the head of the state in Yemen. During this period, president Saleh has become extensively experienced in and sharply knowledgeable about his country's ins and outs. However our aim is not to dig into the bygone period in President's Saleh government, for it is the future that will begin with his new term in office that we are most concerned with. When President takes over the post, as it is most likely to happen, we hope that he would be able to leave the past behind and start as if he rules for the first time. This would enable him to best utilize his past experience in power with a new approach and vision that appropriately meets with the needs of the new era. We believe that the most pressing public demand is related to the phenomenal issue of corruption. Hence our legitimate expectations that President Saleh will begin his new term with a serious determination to uproot all means of corruption. We look forward to seeing senior officials in the government desist from business which necessarily entails the clash of interests. This duplicate role has greatly exhausted the public treasury and wiped out a huge sector of good and honest citizens/businessmen. There is yet a more vital issue of the President's close entourage which we strongly believe, will be revamped to be armed with strict ethical values of honesty and integrity. To let things continue as they stand now can mean only one thing: this country is sure to move from bad to worse and from worse to the worst.

21/7/1999 
Main Headlines:
1- For the first time, the Yemeni People will be able to elect their President.
2- The President's tour to the Arab Maghrib countries continues.
3- In the UN Human Development Report, the number of the poor people in Yemen is 4.3 million.
4- On the occasion of the inauguration of the Annual UN Human Development Report, the Prime Minster says that globalization trends have ended up with the accumulation of wealth inside closed circuits.
5- The Supreme Elections Commission approves the timetable for the presidential race.
6- Draft Law of the Local Authority allows extensive jurisdictions for local councils.

-- Issue's Editorial
The near future is sure to reveal everything and then solid facts will be disclosed for everyone to know. By that time everybody we agree with or disagree with, will appreciate the stance of the Rabbita Party which has abstained from coming up with a presidential candidate and at the same time does not call for elections boycott. We feel our position is the most faithful to the country's national interests as it stems from stark and objective considerations of the country's recent realities while it dose not affect our established convictions in democracy as the sole option for all governments. While we are committed to contribute our best to the issue of democracy, we are aware of the risks involved in taking part in a farce-like elections which, we believe, is fated to reproduce only mirages of fantasy and illusion. The vote, is too valuable to be cast in a game of lies and self-deception.

-- Issue's Editorial
Official media has now become uncommonly careful to turn every program or a piece of news to a propaganda material in favor of the state's presidential candidate. For the first time it appears as if the audience to which these materials are addressed are some people living outside the Republic of Yemen and therefore it is easy to pass lies over legendary heroic feats of the president and his "endless historical achievements". Yet there are two facts regarding which the officials in the Ministry of "propaganda" are headless. First this electoral "trickery" is a scandalous violation against the Constitution, the existing laws and against the state's impartiality required in this particular issue. Second, the real target of the propaganda, the Yemeni people, can no longer be duped through such trite nonsense as they can easily distinguish between the real and the fake and between first hand and second hand politicians.



Assahwah,
Sanaa Weekly, Mouthpiece of,
The Yemeni Congregation fro Reform (Islah Party),

22/7/1999.
Main Headlines:
1- Islah Secretary General receives a delegation from the US Embassy in Sanaa on the occasion of Ms. Dicki's end of assignment.
2- In Aden, Chinese fishing boats commit violations that should be stopped immediately.
3- In the Human Development Report, the transition towards civic institutions can not be achieved without adherence to law and order.
4- In a press interview, Mr. M. H. Masdous, a YSP leader says that YSP decision to run the race against president Saleh has turned the party into a fifth column working against national unity.
5- Once again, the ministry of information refuses to comply with the court's summon in the case filed against it by three major parties in the opposition, including the Islah Party.

-- Issue's Editorial
A few weeks ago, a conference intended to discuss the question of smuggling and its devastating impacts on the national economy was held here in Sanaa. In fact the phenomenon of smuggling is a potential factor causing destruction to the entire future of our country. How badly we wish to see this epidemic, being eliminated! But the funny thing is that those people in the government who call for combating smuggling are themselves corrupt officials whose bad influence can be felt in every nook and corner in the country. So can we expect that the ordinary citizen would be actively involved in anti-smuggling campaign when these corrupt officials are the originators of this idea? We very much doubt it and rather believe that the wishes of the ordinary people in Yemen do not coincide with those of their government.

-- Issue's Editorial
Political analysts and observers in Yemen and in the region were greatly surprised at the move taken by the People's General Congress and its major ally, the Islah party, the two major players which completely control the parliament, when they rejected the nomination of the opposition's candidate, Mr. Ali Saleh Obad.
This unexpected move indicates that the two parties have preferred to follow the policy of "self sufficiency" or "let's play it indoors" according to one political commentator, when they okayed the nomination of two candidates who are all at once members in the ruling party, the PGC. One of them is the current President of the Republic, and the other is a member in the Permanent Committee of the PGC.
In Algeria, during his recent visit to this country, President Saleh heard President Bu-Taflikah of Algeria stressing the importance of national reconciliation as the only means to overcome his country's problems. President Bu-Taflikah also suggested to refrain from the policy of marginalizing the others. Yet it seems that our brothers in the Authority are unable to learn from what has happened in Algeria and preferred not only to completely disregard the one and the only candidate of the opposition, but also to insult the national history of five well established parties in Yemen. The PGC and the Islah Parties have successfully outmaneuvered the country's Constitution and Laws when they tailored out the relevant procedural steps in such a way so as to secure their monopoly of power and influence and prevent any possible change of the current stagnant conditions in our country.