From tribal to people coalitions [Archives:2006/948/Opinion]

BY: Mohammed Al-Qadhi
Nobody can deny the changes and transformations the Yemeni society has been going through since the unification which brought up the multiparty system. If we look at the politics map since the first parliamentary elections in 1993 till that of 2003, we will see a number of changes at the political fabric of coalitions, bringing Islah as the main ally of President Abdullah Saleh's regime in 1993 to top the opposition coalition at the moment.

The circle of interests and coalitions were focused on Saleh and Abdullah Al-Ahmer, leading the Hashid tribe; let us call it the coalition of families. This coalition of families or tribes continued for some time, where the family and the tribe have been the nucleus and power base for the tribal figures in politics making. This tribal dynasty has been the bond linking Saleh and Al-Ahmer for such a long period of time.

But, what is happening now? Following the press statements of Hameed Al-Ahmer one can read between the lines the change taking place. Al-Ahmer, the son, has been ruthlessly criticizing the regime of Saleh, demanding its change for the better of Yemen. Why this change? There are some reasons for that. Hameed Al-Ahmer is no longer the son of Hashid tribe, the influence-generating source; his sense of belonging is to Yemen at large, because he is now an outstanding businessman where interest focus lies all over the country. He is not providing the SabaFon GSM service to the people of his tribe, but all Yemen. And his subscribers in Aden or Taiz might be more than those in Amran, his hometown. His coalition is now with all people of Yemen where his interest lies. In the past, he might have been at ease with corruption and bureaucracy, but now these things hamper and cripple his business and interests. The rampant corruption which is now an economy by itself does not serve the efficiency by which his business should be run.

The other reason is that because his interest with the regime of Saleh has been narrowing to a great extent. The circle of the cronies around Saleh is shrinking to the extent that we find the closest people to the man are his close relatives. This makes Al-Ahmer feels his coalition with the people and with his business will be more profitable. He is now afraid and concerned about the future of the country more than any time for the future of the country means the future of his growing business. This is how we should nurture the devotion to the country, through creating interests for them.

I am not here saying the man has completely left all his tribal bonds behind. However, I just wanted to show how economic interests can broaden the people sense of belonging and consequently bring about the breakdown and erosion of traditional tribal bonds which acted a stumbling block before building up a modern and civilized society. The US people are of different origins and races but the common factor brining them together is the devotion to the prosperity of the country that brings their interests together. So many migrants have not been born in the US, but they have that sense of belonging to this country.

Here in Yemen, the political regime has failed to create this sense of belonging among the people of different tribes and governorates. The people lack of confidence in a powerful state ruled by law and order makes them strengthen their bonds and ties with their tribes, clans and dynasties. If a person is in hot water, he seeks his tribe or family for protection. The sense of belonging to the tribe is stronger than that to the state. In such circumstances, where the role of the tribe has been promoted at the expense of the state, the integral role of the political parties and civil society organizations in promoting democracy and civil life has unfortunately been very much marginalized and weakened, leading into what can be called tribocracy instead of democracy.

In other words, the state leadership has been unsuccessful in creating an atmosphere of interests for such tribesmen. I believe these tribesmen will throw away their guns, if they find better education and better jobs. Tribalism, as one of our major headaches, can vanish, if tribesmen are educated and are busied with work. They will get rid of their guns if they feel there is a state ruled by law and order, where their rights and interested are secured.

Unfortunately, the regime throughout the past decades fueled tribal feuds and disputes to keep these tribes busy; it has not tried to have a political, economic and social program to cultivate and modernize these tribes, pushing them to be positive contributing force to the wellbeing of the whole country. They will then feel they are in alliance with stability and welfare of the state that maintains their comfort. This is how coalition of the people can be created at the expense of familial or tribal coalitions. It is to keep them busy not with guns but work and business.

The people of Oman were not better off than us in the 19970s; some of them were even carrying out low jobs in Saudi Arabia. However, when they had got a leadership with a good vision and clear project, they have developed tremendously. The gap between us now is very big. It is not an issue of resources lacking, but of commitment and strong will.
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