25 June - 1 July 1998
Issue No.383
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 25 June - 1 July 1998 Issue No.383 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Turmoil in YemenSanaa has been quiet since Monday as some 10,000 armoured police and security men positioned themselves at major intersections to prevent demonstrations which had gripped central Yemen on Saturday and Sunday. The relative calm in Sanaa came one day after major cities -- such as Maareb and Taez -- witnessed serious clashes between security forces and protesters, leaving four people killed and several injured. On Tuesday, clashes re-erupted in Maareb, leaving six people dead. Demonstrators were angered by the government's decision last Friday to raise fuel and basic food prices by 40 per cent -- in the case of petrol, from YR (Yemeni Riyal) 500 to YR700 per gallon. The hiked-up prices are in compliance with an economic reform programme introduced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in 1995, to help Yemen recover from the effects of its 1994 civil war. Protesters are demanding that the Yemeni government bring prices back down to their previous levels. The government, however, refuses to budge, insisting that without these reforms, Yemen would face an economic breakdown. Abdelaziz Al-Saqqaf, editor-in-chief of the English daily Yemen Times, believes that these reforms are necessary and will help Yemen's economic situation in the long run. However, "Yemen is a very poor country and since 1995, when the government started it's reform programme, there has been more unemployment and suffering for the people," he stated in a telephone interview with Al-Ahram Weekly. Al-Saqqaf described the latest reforms as "the straw that broke the camel's back," referring to their devastating impact on the masses. Demonstrations continued through Sunday and Monday, despite the government's issuing of a ban on public gatherings on Saturday. Thousands of people took to the streets shouting slogans and demanding the immediate resignation of newly-appointed Prime Minister Abdel-Karim Al-Iryani, describing him as "an enemy of God". Acting on instructions from the World Bank, Al-Iryani's new government partially lifted subsidies on basic foods and fuel commodities, which led to a rise in price of almost all goods. "The demonstrations are an indication of the difficult times which Yemen is going through," stated Abdel-Bari Taher, chairman of the Yemeni Press Syndicate. "The latest reform means that prices will be hiked up in all areas, without exception. Prices could rise by up to 50 per cent," he added. Yemeni citizens are complaining that despite the 15 per cent wage increase for public and private sector employees and army personnel also announced last Friday, they will still be much worse off. "Raising prices affects mainly the poor and middle classes," explained Taher. Al-Saqqaf denies the government's claim that "political forces" are behind the demonstrations. The demonstrators, he said, are "simple people who cannot make ends meet." Members of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's government have also accused the opposition Islamic Islah (reform) of standing behind the riots. But Islah members denied the charge, blaming the government's economic policies for causing the riots. According to Al-Saqqaf, the situation right now is fragile, but he believes that the current uproar will calm down. "The situation will slowly die out, but it proves that unless economic conditions improve and, more importantly, unless management by the state improves, Yemen could blow-up." |