The Constitution of the Republic of Yemen and the General Elections Law state that the Supreme Elections Commission (SEC) is responsible for administrating the elections and organizing the election campaigns for the candidates in a just an equal manner. The commission's duty is to provide the equal opportunity and to guarantee and secure an even and fair campaign and prevent any kind of violation in the campaign itself, or in the voting or vote counting procedures.

Since Najeeb Qahtan Al-Shaabi was given the parliament's approval to run for the presidential elections, which are supposed to be held next month, we have been in continuous contact with the commission to get detailed information essential for the candidate. But unfortunately, now that more than 3 weeks have passed after the approval, and in spite of the rapidly approaching elections day, we are yet to get the information.
The SEC has issued its presidential elections campaign guide, which the commission itself has violated by issuing conflicting instructions. Recently, the commission's chairman gave a statement, which clearly contradicts previous decisions and also contradicts the General Elections Law. We clarify these contradictions in the following:

1-The text of the election campaign guide's 22nd article states that the campaign should start 27 days before the day of the elections.
2-We were shocked at the commission's decision to change the starting day of the campaign to 14 days before the day of the elections.
3-We were then again surprised at the statement of the chairman of the commission in 26 September Newspaper issued on the 12th of August. In his statements, he said that the election campaign would start after 10 days! Which means having it earlier than previous dates. This despite the fact that election guide's articles no. 43 to 46 demand that all our campaign pictures and slogans, etc. be submitted to the commission for evaluation 5 days before the start of the day of the campaign for review by the commission. Also, article no. 25 forces us to submit our program, which specifies the places and dates of our public campaign presentations in Sanaa plus capitals of the other provinces 7 days before the start of the campaign. Hence, the statement of the commission's chairman of advancing the date of the campaign make it impossible for us to do all what is required from us in regards to our preparation for the elections. Besides, it is unconceivable that we start our campaigns before the Parliament -which is in its annual vacation until the end of August- ends its election proceedings that are not yet complete.
4-The statement of the SEC's chairman also included, "The vote counting procedures will be implemented in the election centers themselves. " This in itself is considered a clear violation of the General Elections Law, which states that the vote count should take place in the main center of every voting constituency and not in all centers. 

All this, in addition to not providing us with data and information, has placed another direct obstacle in our way towards preparing for our election campaign. The above points give the impression that the SEC does not have a plan or clear vision in administrating the presidential elections and what is related to it of campaigns and other preparations. This is another direct obstacle placed in our way towards having our presidential elections campaign.

The coming first presidential elections in the history of Yemen is supposed to be a great step towards strengthening and deepening the democratic process in our country, which requires more seriousness in handling the responsibility by all concerned. On the top of the list comes the SEC whose constitutional responsibility lies in administrating the elections and organizing its campaigns.

We are announcing to the Yemeni voter that this disorganization, chaos, carelessness and non-abidance by the basic principles of election administration will have a negative effect on our campaign. Hence, this will defeat the principles of equality and fairness between the candidates especially that Mr. Najeeb Qahtan Al-Shaabi is the only contender against the president of Yemen in the elections.

With this statement, we wanted to clarify to the general public's opinion in the hope of obtaining a response leading to the elevation of the level of awareness, responsibility and attention in tandem with this historical event that our country will experience.

The Preparatory Commission for the Presidential Candidate
Najeeb Qahtan Al-Shaabi
Dr. Saadaldeen Bin Talib for the committee
Date: 15 August 1999

By: Imad Al-Saqqaf and Farouq Al-Kamali
Yemen Times
Taiz

Walking on the street of Al-Horaish it is certain that you will never fail to notice a deserted place lies on the east side of the road. It is a large building on a large area. It is said that it is a school that has not been completed yet. WHAT WAS THE POINT THEN?
It is said that the building of this school started on bounds and leaps before the unification and that Saudi Arabia was financing this project.

However, after the breaking of the gulf war, all the projects supported by Saudi Arabia, this school included, have come to a halt. It is nine years since the unification and working in this school is not continued. No one has showed any sense of mercy for the destiny of this used-to-be-beautiful building and exerted some efforts to complete the two-floor school.

Years are elapsing one after the other and we are still cherishing the hope that people in charge may wake up and move to save this school from destruction and ruins. Unfortunately, it seems that they have already lost their face and therefore they have never moved a finger. So often, I pass this school and I heavy-heartedly wonder why it was not completed and the reason behind all this ignorance and carelessness.

It is a fact that lots of machines that cost us millions of dollars are not taken care of and are thrown outdoors till no use can be made of them. There are also a lot of loans and assistance we got from other countries for various projects, however, the implementation of such projects was either bad and not as per standardization or that they never see the light of existence. This deserted school is an example of those incomplete projects and one of those that are not paid even the slightest attention. It is a clear sign of corruption, carelessness and indifference. When I got in this deserted building a shiver went through my body for the building is very big. The rooms are a lot, the campus is well designed, all this makes it a perfect and exemplary place to study in. It is actually not fair to leave such a place in this situation. I was still inside this building when I felt a strange stillness and silence. In one of the rooms I found a hound of dogs and in another some torn clothes. I felt afraid as I got from one room to another for there is nothing inside expect for dogs and terrific quietness. The outside of the building as well as the inner side really attracted my attention for stones have become timeworn and ravaged. Most of the rooms and lanes are full of stones and mud let in by rains from Al-Horaish Street. The situation is certainly daunting! Practically speaking, the school does not need to be completed, it rather needs to be pulled down and rebuilt again. I do not know what would happen if our prudent government took over when Saudi Arabia seized to finance this project or is it still waiting for Saudi Arabia to have mercy on us and finance it again?

In front of the deserted school we had met the school keeper who lives in a small house in the campus of the school. We asked him about his name and the situation of this school and he said: My name is Hamood Kasem Abdullah and I have been the keeper of this school from the time they started building it. It was financed by Saudi Arabia and implemented by Saeed Abdu thabet Almiti, a Yemeni contractor. When the Gulf war broke out Saudi Arabia stopped all its projects in Yemen therefore the working in this school came to a stop. Until now he is still asking the government of Saudi Arabia to pay him the rest of his installments. 

The Saudi government has promised to compensate him for his losses. He is also claiming the Yemeni government to compensate him for his heavy losses on equipment and wood stolen from the school. After 94 war the president of the republic requested Ahmad Hail Saeed, the well known businessman, to complete what has been left from the school. After this Ahmad Hail paid a visit to the school and then said that he was not able to carry out this task for it has been damaged a lot and that it was almost beyond repair. Besides, there are a lot of problems with the land owners and the neighbors. Hamood Kasem also said that every year a committee of engineers and technicians came to visit the building and said that they would start working in it. However, what they say is something and what we see is on the ground is something else for all they say remain a talk, nothing more nothing less. In July 99 a committee from Sanaa came and started taking the windows' and floors' measurements. They said that they were going to complete everything either by the Saudi government as the Yemeni-Saudi relations has undergone a normalization course or through our government financing.

Hamood with signs of despair and sadness on his face went on to say that the school has become a safe haven for thieves, wine's and narcotics' addicts. When I asked him about the torn clothes he said that these are clothes stolen from the roofs of houses by these thieves. He also said that the school has also become a place for bitches. "Never be surprised if I tell You that I myself once found a dead body in one of the rooms in November 93 and I had informed the police. After the investigation, it is said that he has been choked till death. The case was recorded against an unknown killer.", Hamood Said. He concluded his speech saying that he appeals to all the people in charge if not complete and save this school before destruction, shut off doors at the face of thieves, outlaws and criminals.

To make a long story short, what can we say about all this chaos and carelessness of destroying projects and public funds. The School that should have graduated students is now graduating thieves, highwaymen and gangsters. So will people in charge start acting to retrieve what can be saved before it becomes beyond control or are we going to wait for Saudi Arabia to finish it? I wonder what kind of mentalities our officials have!

Mamoon Mohammed Ahmed
Yemen Times

Day by day, the world is moving towards globalization. The whole planet is turning to a small village. Millions of people now have obtained satellite dishes and are aware of what is happening all over the world. The universal values of human rights, democracy, freedom of expression are forcing themselves to the darkest dictatorships. The world is changing, and this change is forcing itself into every house, every office, and every authority. Today, we are living in an era where people are beginning to ask for their rights. Pressure is increasing on all systems of the world to move on to the new era. It is the era where the ultimate power is that of the people. It is the era that holds a brighter future and more transparent world full of prosperity. In the same time, it also holds a gloomy season for the dictators and evil powers of the world.

This is not a novel, nor is it a story. It is part of what is happening in life. Look at how the Spanish are now asking for revenge from the Dictator Pinochet who once was an ultimate ruler who used to hit with a fist of steel in Chile for so long. He is now being requested for trial for the inhuman acts he has done in his times of rule. Publicly supported opposition powers today were able to topple the stiffest leaders who were not fit for the position of state leadership. In many countries, absolute rulers and caesuras turned into normal citizens under the continuous pressure of the people. These are facts, and we should accept them as they are.
However, some leaderships are still not aware of the globalization move and the change the world is undergoing. They are still having the same old mentality of dictatorship, which is being described today as "out-dated".

We in Yemen have witnessed a lot of change. We were in some ways able to cope with this globalizing world. Yemenis are today aware of the world around them. They see through satellite channels the modernization and civilization in the countries of the world. They do feel sorry for their country, and they realize that their country needs to go a long way. They look through the TV that the governments of other countries with fewer natural resources and work-force have developed their countries to a much higher level. Hence, they began to see the government responsible of bringing the country to healthier conditions to be able to feel proud when saying "that is my country."The survey of Yemen Times (published last week) has shown that the younger and more educated the person, the more courageous and self-confidence he was. This gives the impression that globalization is truly doing its work. It is enabling the people to speak for themselves and say "no" to what they see as inappropriate. They are beginning to see that what democracy and freedom of expression are not a thing granted by the government. They see it as their right that has been taken away from them for so long. The educated and young generation feels that every effort of the government in regards to giving more freedom and democracy is in fact a long-waited action.

On the other hand, the illiterate people in Yemen, who constitute more than 60% of the population are the ones who feel that democracy and freedom are two gifts from the government, and are not essential for them as they do not even know what they exactly mean. As more people become educated, and as time passes by, the thought of democracy and freedom as rights and not grants is getting stronger. Hence, the freedom of expression, neutrality in official media, fee elections, and other universal values become more and more familiar. If Yemen is to get integrated with the globalizing world, it must give these values more importance in their sole meaning. People are beginning to distinguish between a fake and true democracy. It is expected that the next generations will not be deceived by a fake democracy because they would already know how to use their rights.

Within the next millennium, we will be living in the era of the people. During that era, the most powerful rulers of the world will not be able to withstand the power of the people. Today, this power may be strong, but tomorrow it will certainly become invincible.