SANA'A // Yemen's parliament yesterday backed the removal of a two-term limit for the country's president, which would enable Ali Abdullah Saleh to pursue another five years in office.
The draft constitutional amendment was supported by MPs in a parliament dominated by the ruling party, despite opposition protests outside and a call from the United States to delay the vote.
A final vote by MPs will take place later this year.
Mr Saleh's seven-year term in office - hissecond - ends in 2013, and the law bars him from seeking another term. The proposed amendment would place no restrictions on him running for president and, in theory, would make it possible for him to serve for the rest of his life if re-elected.
The 68-year-old leader has ruled for 32 years - as president of North Yemen from 1978 until 1990 when North and South Yemen unified, and then as president of the Republic of Yemen. His first elected term began in 1999.
"Ali Abdullah Saleh is a national necessity not for his person but because [of] the interests of Yemen, and stability of the political system ... He is accepted by everybody inside and outside the country," Sultan al Barakani, the head of the ruling General People's Congress, said before the vote.
The amendment would return the presidential term to five years from seven, a change that was initially made in the 2001 referendum. The amendment proposal says the seven-year term "is long compared with other democratic countries".
It is part of a package of proposed constitutional changes that include adding a quota of 44 seats for women in the 301-member legislature, establishing two chambers for parliament, instead of one, and granting powers to regional councils.
Under Yemeni law, the amendments will now be reviewed by a parliamentary committee, which will report back to parliament in 60 days where a final vote will take place.
The amendments will then be put to a referendum, which is expected to be held simultaneously with the parliamentary elections in April.
Hundreds of supporters of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), an opposition group of six parties including the Islamist Islah party, as well as opposition MPs gathered outside the parliament as the vote took place to protest the amendments.
"Eliminating the two-term limit is a fall back from the spirit of the republican system ... it is also an overthrow on the unity [between the north and south], which gives the right to the people in partnership in power," said Aidarous al Naqeeb, an opposition MP.
On Friday, the US State Department issued a statement urging the ruling party to delay the vote and continue negotiations with the opposition on political reforms - a process agreed between the General People's Congress (GPC) and JMP in February 2009.
However, the parliament's speaker, Yahia al Raee, said: "We do not accept this ... we will not bow to the US or another ... we will bow to the decision of the parliament."
The amendment comes amid increasing tension between the GPC and JMP after a vote by the GPC on the country's electoral law and the formation of an electoral commission last month.
The opposition said that by approving the amendment to the electoral law on December 11, the ruling party violated the 2009 accord on political reforms under which they agreed to postpone the parliamentary election for two years.
Elsewhere in Yemen yesterday, reports said authorities freed Hassan Baoum, the main leader of the southern opposition movement, two months after his arrest.
malqadhi@thenational.ae
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The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
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Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Elvis
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Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
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Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
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SUNDAY
Brighton and Hove Albion v Southampton (5.30pm)
Leicester City v Everton (8pm)
MONDAY
Burnley v Newcastle United (midnight)
Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
The Light of the Moon
Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Dubai Women's Tour teams
Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
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Minsk Cycling Club
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
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UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
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Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
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Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
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High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
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1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
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Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
