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ADEN, Yemen, April 13-- Yemen's parliament convened on Saturday in the city of Seiyun, the second largest city in the southeastern province of Hadramout, for the first time since the outbreak of the devastating civil war in the impoverished Arab country in March 2017. The parliament held its first meeting at the presidential palace in Seiyun city, with the presence of Yemeni President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik and delegates of Arab and foreign countries. "I extend my sincere congratulations to the Yemeni people on the first constitutional meeting of their elected legislative authority," the Yemeni president said in a speech at the opening of the extraordinary parliamentary session. He said that this special session is being held "at a very important moment in the country's history, as we stand at the crossroads between the options of peace and war," accusing the Houthis of intransigence, maneuvering and obstructing the peace efforts exerted by the United Nations in Yemen. Hadi said that organizing the first meeting of Yemen's House of Representatives "clearly indicates that the Houthi project is gradual and day by day," stressing that "Yemenis are now restoring one of the most important institutions of their state after a long journey of struggle." During the session, the Yemeni lawmakers elected Assistant Secretary-General of the ruling General People's Congress Party (GPC) Sultan al-Barakani as the new speaker of the pro-government parliament. | 
