A meeting to enhance reform policies and social justice [Archives:2007/1107/Opinion]

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November 29 2007

By: Adel Al-Shuja'a
President Saleh's meeting with civil community organizations last Ramadan came to give a great chance for assessing and reviewing progress of domestic affairs just one year after his reelection. Releasing such an initiative is pondered upon as an opportunity to evaluate performance of the General People Congress and the government in light of institutional development. And, as I said, this initiative came to diagnose the real performance of leaders in the government and the opposition, plus the procedures taken to achieve the sought goals contained in Saleh's political platform ahead of last year's presidential election.

Mr. President has opened various files and reform horizons that appeared to be complicated for a certain time period, and presented to the public opinion and political parties a system of controversial reforms. We can say that the initiative targeted corruption in a clear, intentional and preplanned manner as there are corrupt individuals whom the general policy intends to eliminate.

The initiative aimed to list specific obligations in order to be fulfilled and moved directly toward the civil community to address the interests and needs of a large social group with the purpose enhancing reform policies and social justice, which are the basis for political stability in the nation.

Now, Mr. President releases such an initiative as he is the one, who obtained the majority of votes in the most recent election, and he wants to accumulate the democratic experiences of Yemen, however, there are invisible forces that make no distinction between the right and the wrong.

At this point, we admit that we face difficulty understanding why the opposition is objecting to the initiative. We don't know why some people become more ignorant whenever the democratic experience grows. The matter seems to be similar to leniency or indifference toward the conspiracy, as refraining from backing this initiative means refraining from defending the nation against plots targeting its security and stability. It is this indifference that blinded us against the various conspiracies machinated against Yemen, and we will suddenly find ourselves face to face with an unexpected campaign targeting the national security and stability.

Civil community organizations are concerned with forming an effective front able to make use of the political freedoms and transfer them to public opinion. Nevertheless, we call for the establishment of a central council for these organizations, particularly the ones concerned with increasing people's awareness about how to defend their homeland and its unity. It is important for this council to be built on an intellectual basis including all the social and political forces that have a strong will to rescue the nation from deterioration.

In addition, it will be very crucial to form such a central council, which in return will resist all the regional tensions and agitations, accompanied by political projects, which are shrewdly run by those who master investment in democracy.

Undoubtedly, we are seeing and hearing a misleading political address because it is free of the language of wars, violence, killing and sectarian fanaticism, but war traders have in their pockets the fertilized seeds for fueling wars.

Educated people in this country have become infected with the frustration virus, which make them misunderstand pluralism and support the one-side vision. The educated man contributed to destroying his character while such a cultural disease proliferates terribly with the passage of days. As a result, the cultural current lost its ability to develop people's minds.

Source: Al-Thawra State-run Daily
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