February 2001: Yemen holds its first local council elections. The election is conducted along with a national referendum for a constitutional amendment extending the president's term from five to seven years, and that of parliamentarians from four to six years.
April 2003: Yemen holds its third parliamentary election resulting in a landslide victory for the ruling General People's Congress (GPC), headed by President Saleh.
2004
January 2004: Yemen hosts an international conference on democracy, human rights and the role of the International Court of Justice.
May 2004: President Saleh abolishes jail sentences for journalists. The move follows the arrest of Saeed Thabet, deputy chairman of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate, accused of publishing false reports on an assassination attempt against one of the president’s sons. Nevertheless, journalists continue to receive jail sentences as the national press law has yet to be amended.
June 2004: Government troops launch military operations against Shi’ite dissident cleric Hussein al-Houthi and his supporters in Sada'a, in northern Yemen, accusing him of instigating sectarian friction and attempting to overthrow the regime. Al-Houthi is killed in September, after which his father, Badr Eddin, launches his own insurgency in early 2005. Hundreds of people are killed and injured in armed clashes in Sada'a.
September 2004: Abdulkareem al-Khaiwani, editor of opposition weekly Al-Shoura, is arrested, accused of inciting sectarian sentiment and supporting the al-Houthi rebellion. He is sentenced to one year in jail and his paper is suspended. He is released in March 2005, however, following an amnesty from President Saleh.
2005
February 2005: Islamist party Islah holds its third general conference under the motto, "The Fight for Civil Rights." Islah leader Abdullah al-Ahmer accuses the government of a retreat from political reform. After the GPC retaliates with a potent media attack against al-Ahmer, Saleh orders high-ranking officials to apologize.
April 2005: Yemeni journalists reject a draft press law proposed by the information ministry, saying the law would only serve to increase restrictions on existing press freedoms. A second draft is currently being discussed by the Shura council.
July 2005: Demonstrations are held in most of Yemen’s cities as citizens protest massive inflation on petrol. The price hikes are part of an economic reform package implemented since 1995 with the support of the World Bank. At least 50 demonstrators are killed and hundreds injured in confrontations with police.
July 2005: The Socialist Party elects Yassin Saeed Noman as its secretary general. He is expected to breathe new life into the party which has declined in membership since its defeat in the 1994 civil war.
September 2005: Yemen announces that half of the 111 members of the consultative Shura council, as well as governors and district directors, will be democratically elected. The move, ostensibly aimed at promoting democracy, is opposed by the opposition for not going far enough.
November 2005: A coalition of opposition parties launches an initiative to encourage political reform. The government rejects the plan and accuses the initiative’s planners of attempting to overthrow the regime. Following criticism by international organizations including the World Bank, Saleh orders the establishment of an independent committee to fight corruption.
December 2005: World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Christian Portman, cites a number of reasons for reducing loans to Yemen, including a failure to meet minimum standards of fiscal transparency and improve the national investment environment. Portman further complains that not enough has been done to root out official corruption.
December 2005: A draft law aimed at fighting corruption is endorsed by the cabinet but has yet to be approved by parliament.
December 2005: The ruling party holds its seventh general conference, electing Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajamal as Secretary-General. During the event, the ruling party announces a number of reforms including the allocation of a 15 percent quota for women in upcoming elections. Saleh and the ruling party stress commitment to political and economic reform, and to the fight against corruption and terrorism.
April 2003: Yemen holds its third parliamentary election resulting in a landslide victory for the ruling General People's Congress (GPC), headed by President Saleh.
January 2004: Yemen hosts an international conference on democracy, human rights and the role of the International Court of Justice.
May 2004: President Saleh abolishes jail sentences for journalists. The move follows the arrest of Saeed Thabet, deputy chairman of the Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate, accused of publishing false reports on an assassination attempt against one of the president’s sons. Nevertheless, journalists continue to receive jail sentences as the national press law has yet to be amended.
June 2004: Government troops launch military operations against Shi’ite dissident cleric Hussein al-Houthi and his supporters in Sada'a, in northern Yemen, accusing him of instigating sectarian friction and attempting to overthrow the regime. Al-Houthi is killed in September, after which his father, Badr Eddin, launches his own insurgency in early 2005. Hundreds of people are killed and injured in armed clashes in Sada'a.
September 2004: Abdulkareem al-Khaiwani, editor of opposition weekly Al-Shoura, is arrested, accused of inciting sectarian sentiment and supporting the al-Houthi rebellion. He is sentenced to one year in jail and his paper is suspended. He is released in March 2005, however, following an amnesty from President Saleh.
February 2005: Islamist party Islah holds its third general conference under the motto, "The Fight for Civil Rights." Islah leader Abdullah al-Ahmer accuses the government of a retreat from political reform. After the GPC retaliates with a potent media attack against al-Ahmer, Saleh orders high-ranking officials to apologize.
April 2005: Yemeni journalists reject a draft press law proposed by the information ministry, saying the law would only serve to increase restrictions on existing press freedoms. A second draft is currently being discussed by the Shura council.
July 2005: Demonstrations are held in most of Yemen’s cities as citizens protest massive inflation on petrol. The price hikes are part of an economic reform package implemented since 1995 with the support of the World Bank. At least 50 demonstrators are killed and hundreds injured in confrontations with police.
July 2005: The Socialist Party elects Yassin Saeed Noman as its secretary general. He is expected to breathe new life into the party which has declined in membership since its defeat in the 1994 civil war.
September 2005: Yemen announces that half of the 111 members of the consultative Shura council, as well as governors and district directors, will be democratically elected. The move, ostensibly aimed at promoting democracy, is opposed by the opposition for not going far enough.
November 2005: A coalition of opposition parties launches an initiative to encourage political reform. The government rejects the plan and accuses the initiative’s planners of attempting to overthrow the regime. Following criticism by international organizations including the World Bank, Saleh orders the establishment of an independent committee to fight corruption.
December 2005: World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Christian Portman, cites a number of reasons for reducing loans to Yemen, including a failure to meet minimum standards of fiscal transparency and improve the national investment environment. Portman further complains that not enough has been done to root out official corruption.
December 2005: A draft law aimed at fighting corruption is endorsed by the cabinet but has yet to be approved by parliament.
December 2005: The ruling party holds its seventh general conference, electing Prime Minister Abdulqader Bajamal as Secretary-General. During the event, the ruling party announces a number of reforms including the allocation of a 15 percent quota for women in upcoming elections. Saleh and the ruling party stress commitment to political and economic reform, and to the fight against corruption and terrorism.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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