Frankly speaking, the opposition has no real demands [Archives:2008/1196/Opinion]
Hamza Al-Jubaihi
I already delivered this article to the Al-Ayyam Daily in order to publish it on due time, but regretfully the paper did not do so, which is why I resorted to publish it on Newsyemen.net.
In a previous article published by Al-Ayyam Daily on April 28, 2008, Dr. Saif Al-Asali, an economics professors at Sana'a University, who once served as Finance Minister, diagnosed situation of the opposition in our country. The article was eye-catching, and therefore deserves support.
Al-Asali explained status of the opposition in our country. He described behavior of the opposition and diagnosed it thoroughly. Al-Asali listed some of the excuses adopted by some opposition leaders while claiming secession under the pretext that despite any persisting violations and tragedies, claiming one's rights is ensured by the law, provided that he/she shouldn't harm unity of the nation under any justification.
Al-Asali established a comparison between our opposition and other oppositions in other states. For instance, the sufferings experienced by some people of Eastern Germany didn't encourage the opposition to review their unity. Likewise, price hikes in Egypt didn't encourage opposition leaders to claim separating the southern part of Egypt (called Saeed in Arabic) from the nation.
The most notable achievement throughout the Yemeni and Arab history is that of reunifying Yemen on May 22, 1990, which represented the first step toward achieving another major dream (the Arab Unity), which is still anonymous. The Yemeni unity is considered a natural product that arose from the spirits of noble and patriotic citizens in the various parts of the nation.
At this point, we should not repeat role of any partner in establishing the unity, particularly as justice gives the right to people to unify themselves.
Political congestions are symptomatic of political bankruptcy
The current turmoil and crisis in the nation, or what is called congestions in South Yemen, are symptomatic of bankruptcy and vulnerable interest of ill-natured people, who turned to behave in a way harming the national unity under the guise of what they call “peaceful protests.” They also exploit the available scope of freedoms to raise slogans chanting claims of secession.
Those irresponsible practices, aimed to threaten unity of the nation, under the pretext of claiming that the government should resolve retiree's issues, land grabs and unemployment have no value, compared to unity of the nation. Bad intents of those who undertake hostile campaigns against the national unity made them confine these demands to the southern governorates.
The situation may imply that there are neither retirees, unemployment nor land disputes in the other parts of the nation. Frankly speaking, such issues really exists nationwide, and no doubt that there are sufferings and hardships experienced by citizens everywhere.
Regretfully, our country got the kind of opposition that opposes whatever happens for the sake of opposition merely. And, its appearance as an opposition is merely in the form of flashes or pebbles. This opposition appears, shines and disappears immediately.
When speaking up and raising numerous issues, it only plans to get gifts and funds for its leaders. Illegal individual interests and political achievements are the sublime purposes the opposition wants to reach.
These practices function as the clearest evidence that the majority of opposition members and leaders are shocked at the wider scope of freedom and democracy available on the ground. Those unpatriotic individuals still have the same negative memories of the past. They don't understand that Yemen's democracy still is immature and it should progress gradually until reaching the extent of democracy practiced in other developed nations.
Source: Newsyemen.net
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