Yemen's parliament convenes for first time in four years

World Sunday 14/April/2019 14:50 PM
By: Times News Service
Yemen's parliament convenes for first time in four years

Aden: Yemen's parliament convened for the first time since the outbreak of civil war in the country.

The country's parliament held its first meeting in several years at the presidential palace in Seiyun, Hadramout in the presence of Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik and delegates of Arab and foreign countries.

"I extend my sincere congratulations to the Yemeni people on the first constitutional meeting of their elected legislative authority," the Yemeni president said in a speech at the opening of the extraordinary parliamentary session.

He said that this special session is being held "at a very important moment in the country's history, as we stand at the crossroads between the options of peace and war."

Hadi said that "Yemenis are now restoring one of the most important institutions of their state after a long journey of struggle."

During the session, the Yemeni lawmakers elected Assistant Secretary-General of the ruling General People's Congress Party (GPC) Sultan al-Barakani as the new speaker of the pro-government parliament.

Al-Barakani said in a speech that the convening of the Yemeni parliament "comes in line with the articles of Yemen's Constitution." He stressed full support for any "local, regional or international effort aimed at achieving peace in Yemen."

Al Barakani called on the Houthi group "to resort to the peace process by abandoning violence and turning to a political component that exercises its rights in accordance with Yemen's Constitution."

Hadi chose to hold the meeting in Seiyun for security reasons, regional media reported.

More than 141 members of the 301-member parliament attended the session.

The six-year term of the 301-member parliament has already expired as the last Yemeni parliamentary elections occurred in 2009 during the era of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.