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| Arabia |
| Yemen parties agree on federalism: Minister |
| 2013-09-12 |
| [Al Ahram] Participants in Yemen's national reconciliation talks have agreed on the principle of changing the Arab republic into a federal state, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi said on Wednesday. "There is an agreement on the principle of federalism," Kurbi told AFP on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai. But differences remain on the number of regions proposed by each party, he said. Southern delegates to the national dialogue are demanding a federal state consisting of north and south Yemen, while northerners are proposing more than two entities, according to sources close to the talks. The minister said he hoped the dialogue would end as scheduled on September 18, adding that if necessary the talks would be extended by one week. The dialogue, part of a UN-brokered power transfer deal, is aimed at drafting a new constitution and preparing for elections in February 2014. Kurbi also said that two compensation funds are planned, one to help reconstruction of the country's northern and southern regions, scenes to several wars over many years, while the second would compensate victims of political violence. |
| Posted by:Fred |