[29/May/2012]

SANA'A, May 29 (Saba) - The cabinet decided on Tuesday to submit the draft law on transitional justice and national reconciliation to the President and Prime Minister to reach a decision on.

During its weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa, the cabinet reviewed the results of the ministerial committee charged with reviewing the draft law headed by the Minister of Legal Affairs.

Due to the lack of consensus among the members of the ministerial committee and the cabinet on some contention points in the draft, the cabinet agreed to refer the draft law to the President and the Prime Minister in accordance with the article 12 of the executive mechanism of Gulf initiative.

The article 12 stipulates that the national reconciliation government takes its decisions consensually. If failed to reach a consensus on any issue, the President consults with Prime Minister about. In case they could not reach consensus, the President take the final decision.

The draft law, consists of 18 articles divided into four chapters, aims to emphasize the achievement of the political transition in Yemen on the basis of the right to truth, the values of tolerance and forgiveness, individual, collective and national reconciliation, the rejection of all forms of violence and revenge and building a civil and democratic state protecting human rights.

It also aims to maintain victims' rights, obliterate the effects of human rights violations and prevent their recurrence in the future via adopting the necessary measures to apply the transitional justice that ensures shedding light on the political parties' actions led to human rights violations and guarantees reimbursement to the people affected by such violations during the period stipulated in the law or to their heirs.

The fifth article of the law draft lies down to establish an independent body called "the Equity and Reconciliation Authority" designed to achieve law's objectives.

AF
Saba