Mohammed al-Shadadi, deputy speaker of the Yemeni parliament, has said efforts are being exerted to hold the first parliamentary session, which was postponed early this month due to security turmoil in the temporary capital, Aden. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Shadadi said Parliament is able to bring together lawmakers in a record time of less than 10 days once a date has been set. The deputy speaker did not reveal the expected date of the session, in anticipation of any unforeseen events. “Parliament is delicately following-up events in Aden and the repercussions of the ceasefire mediation, which brought back the situation to normal,” he said. According to the deputy speaker, the Arab Coalition was able to reinstate calm in the city. “We will wait for one week or ten days to see what will happen. Accordingly, we will decide when to hold the Parliament session,” Shadadi said. The Parliament was expected to convene early this month in Aden after the government was able to lure a large number of representatives from former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress and other parties to the session. However, it was postponed following days of turmoil in the temporary capital after the legitimate government repelled an attack by gunmen linked to the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC) on government headquarters. The deputy speaker confirmed that all members were ready to travel from any province to attend the next session, even from the Houthi-controlled areas which host more than 30 lawmakers. Asked about the possibility of holding the session in a secure area, Shadadi said that such a measure hinges on future conditions. “It remains difficult now to decide on another area for hosting the session,” he said, adding that “Aden constitutes a symbolic city for being the temporary capital of the legitimate government.”