The Yemeni parliament reacted yesterday evening on being banned from attending the 24th conference of the Arab-Parliamentary Union organized in Rabat the 20th and 21st of March 2017. The Parliament thanked Nabih Barri, president of the Arab Inter-Parliament who was absent during the conference, for boycotting the event. The Houthi-controlled parliament did not hide its anger towards the decision taken against it on Monday by the Moroccan authorities. The parliament as a result interpreted Barri's absence as a sign of support. The Yemeni Parliament, furthermore, published on its official website yesterday a declaration through which the Parliament's president and members protested against the ban of their delegation. They also acknowledged, what they called «support», of Nabih Barri claiming that Yemen was «treated in an unfair, offensive and brutal way by 17 countries». «We thank Mr Nabih for reacting to the Kingdom of Morocco's decision that banned the Yemeni parliamentary delegation from attending the conference.» The pro-Houthist Parliament also declared that «not attending the Arab Inter-Parliament union conference in Morocco shows the support that our brother Nabih Barri is giving to the Yemeni Parliament.» Meanwhile, Barri who is president of the Lebanese parliament did not justify his absence. However, Habib El Malki, president of the Moroccan Parliament, declared to media that Nabih was not able to attend the conference because «one of his family members had passed away.» Morocco bans Houthis from attending the Arab Inter-Parliamentary union Conference A Moroccan senior official declared to the Turkish news agency Anadolu that the Moroccan authorities banned the group «Ansar Allah», a Shia-led religious political movement mostly known as Houthis. The Moroccan senior official, according to the Anadolu, stressed on the fact that «Morocco supports legitimacy and Houthis are not legitimate, hence they cannot attend nor participate to such an event.» The Shia-led group has fought against the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh and took control of the capital and most of the northern regions of the country. Yemen, though, has been represented previously in the Arab Inter-Parliament union conferences by Mohammed Chaddadi the Parliament vice- president. Chaddadi, who supports president Mansour Hadi, declared to Sabaa news agency that «the Yemen is grateful to Morocco for backing and supporting the legitimacy of Manssour Hadi's government.» The Arab Inter-Parliament conference held in Rabat is supposed to be attended by several Arab parliamentary representatives to develop a new working plan for the union and elect a new leader.
