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Students victim to political disputes
Sana’a University has again been directed to halt studies, this time because of political disputes that have disrupted campus activity.
The decision came following the eruption of students’ calls for Basarda to resign Saturday, but Basarda’s bodyguards opened fire on the student protestors, injuring five students.
“A group of Islah militants attempted to attack me,” Basarda said to Yemen Times. “Instead of penalizing the law-breakers, they ordered my resignation.”
He deemed Basindawa’s decree as a violation of university law.
The Sana’a University Presidency declared a halt to studies at all colleges beginning Sunday because of repetitive violations of Islah party members against the teaching staff, the University Presidency, the employees and the students, he said.
“The university guards repelled the attacks according to the law.”
The Teaching Staff Syndicate at Sana’a University has already called for a comprehensive strike at the university because of attacks against a group of students and doctors who called for the replacement of the university rector and the deans of all the colleges. They called for new leadership to be appointed based on free elections.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Azazi, head of the Teaching Staff Syndicate, told the Yemen Times in a phone interview that the strike is comprehensive and will remain open until elections are held and the current administration is replaced.
Basarda accused some sides of interrupting studies, including the prime minister and Islah figures at the university such as Dr. Saleh Al-Sanabani, Radhwan Masoud and Al-Azazi. He holds them responsible for the destructive acts that have recently taken place at the university.
Sana’a University students have lived in a state of a crisis since the breakout of the 2011 political uprising; studies were suspended for months, and now students endeavor to compensate for what they missed. Instead, they find themselves in front of a new strike.
“It is a crime to connect education with politics,” Nasma Al-Wadaei, a student at the College of Commerce, said. “What is happening is only political calculations. The victims are the students who study in an unstable academic environment.”
