almotamar.net -
Almotamar.net learned from parliamentary sources Tuesday that the parliamentary committees of constitutional affairs and public freedoms held Tuesday the first of their meetings to study and discuss the draft constitutional amendments of the election law.
The draft amendments were presented by the government the beginning of this week and gave with it its memorandum on the justifications of the amendment. It mentioned that the amendments were in implementation of an agreement of principle the Yemeni political parties had signed before the presidential and local elections held in September last year.
The chairman of the constitutional and legal affairs committee in the parliament Ali Abu Hlaiqa had on Sunday read out the government request of amending some articles of the election and referendum law No. 13 for the year 2001. the draft amendment included reconsideration of the articles 21, 22 and 19. amendment of article 19 stipulated the formation of the supreme commission for elections from seven members to be chosen by the president of the republic out of 14 persons approved by the parliament and those 14 are out of 22 judges nominated by the Higher Judiciary Council pursuant to the parliament request.
The government said formation of the supreme commission makes its members influenced by desires of the political parties that nominated them while there is a large segment of independent Yemenis. Thus forming the commission from the parties or upon their accord would neglect that segment and greatly violates one of its rights.
In its further justification for the amendments the government said the judiciary observation of election processes in all of there stages is one of the essential legal guarantees of the elections.