Almotamar.net - Participants in the symposium of local rule and enhancement of administrative decentralization held Monday at Thamar University confirmed that election of governors strengthens the large people’s participation in government. The symposium has been attended by a number of politicians and academics the participants deemed election of the capital mayor and governors of provinces constitutes a beginning for moving to the local rule politically and socially and that would result in development of the Yemeni society and meeting of their needs.

In a closing statement issued by the symposium the participants pointed out that the first electoral session of the capital mayor and governors would contribute to confirm all the efforts of the government aimed at supporting and caring for development as being an important strategy included in the election platform of the president of the republic.

The governor of Thamar Mansour Abduljalil Abdulrab affirmed the importance of this symposium and its role in enhancing the democratic awareness and enrichment of the experiment of governor election with discussion as it is a big step towards a large-powered local rule and a unique experiment placing Yemen at the forefront of the Arab countries in this regard.

The president of Thamar University considered moving to decentralization is an important step reflected on serving local development, considering election of governors as a beginning for the local development.

The Local Administration Undersecretary Mohammed Yahya al-Dharafi reviewed in a working paper the stages of development of the decentralization experiment in Yemen during the years 2000-2008.
On election of governors al-Dharafi said election of the capital mayor and governors of the provinces is a democratic right and an implementation of article 145 of the constitution and an implementation of the local rule law that in one of its article stipulated that the annual conference of local councils should discuss suggestion of moving towards election of heads of local councils from among the elected members of the local councils and an embodiment of the election platform of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and programme of th4e government.