Yemen’s Main & Everlasting Problem: Lack of Law Enforcement [Archives:2000/24/Viewpoint]

During my short period of work as the Chief Editor of Yemen Times, I was able to tackle several problems in the newspaper. Among these problems was the maintaining of law enforcement.
All employees, and all human beings in general tend to be chaotic. They prefer to live and do everything they want in the way that suites them best. However, if continued, this will eventually lead to disorganization and total uncontrollable chaos. As a newspaper manager, I concentrated on enforcing all the rules of the newspaper in all their terms. I started with myself, and let others follow. Today, I feel proud to see that everything is going systematically and with great efficiency. I have realized that implementing the rules was the right way to go.
I would like in this stage, to compare managing a newspaper with the governing of a country. Even though the gap in scale is huge, comparison is still possible. A country with strict enforcement of rules, and with a president who always tries to be a good example, and the first to follow these rules, will definitely be more stable and well-governed. Remarkably, this is what seems to be lacking in Yemen.
Here I find it suitable to quote a European friend who once came to Yemen who said, “We in Europe don’t follow the rules because we like to follow them. But rather, strict law enforcement by the state makes it impossible to even think of violating the law. The time I came to Yemen I enjoyed the freedom of speeding up in my car, not wearing safety belts, and doing virtually everything I like. There seems to have been little law enforcement. But frankly speaking, this may be temporarily good for a sense of freedom, but in the long run. Law enforcement is necessary for any country’s stability and flourishing. I definitely stand against the current situation of Yemen’s governance.”
Indeed, if we need to have our country develop and prosper, we should think of the first step as law enforcement. It is not for us, or even our children only. It is for all the coming generations who want to live in prosperity, stability, and happiness.
I dream of a government that strictly enforces the law on everyone, on the civilian in the street, on the tribesmen, villager, minister, and even president of the country. Only then will I believe that there will be hope for a strong and developing Yemen.
As for me, I am not only dreaming. I am trying in the limited my limited scope of authority to promote this concept. I have established a strong and working rule enforcement techniques in Yemen Times, and I believe this could be a good model for other newspapers and establishments to follow. In conclusion, I believe that Yemen’s most important problem in this present is the lack of law enforcement on everyone, I repeat, everyone. Walid A. Al-Saqqaf
Chief Editor

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