Integrity does not approach election boxes in underdeveloped countries [Archives:2006/977/Opinion]
Last week, I was visited, at my office in Sana'a, by Robert Anciaux of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to observe the Yemeni election process. He asked me why both presidential bodies of the House of Representatives and Shura rejected my nomination while I had called for the Revolution, erected the republic, assumed Vice-President of the Revolution Leadership Council, Vice President of the Republic, Vice Deputy-General Commander of Armed Forces and Prime Minister; and laid the foundation stone for the building of Yemen contemporary state? I answered that these are the mere reasons that caused the overruling elements on Yemen policy to refuse my running, because they hate these specifications in the nominee, who is running the Presidential elections. Thus, those hate the history that they did not participate in. They hate the knowledge that they do not live with and they hate the experience they would not achieve. They reject the integrity, which they do not earn their living from, and hold to the corruption that they live on. Weeks ago, the President announced that he will not be an umbrella for the corruption and the corrupted. Nevertheless, we have not heard that the state had presented one of corrupted officials to discipline or court; or even left his post. That means they are going to stay in their ruling offices, everlasting seats and rotten powers, no matter how far they went away from the President's umbrella, since they stay within his tent. Perhaps, it is more protective for them than his umbrella.
Robert Anciaux said, “Does that mean the presidential elections will not be free and honest?” I said that it would be free in the meaning that the citizen can vote for whom he chooses and the ruling party then does what it wants. Isn't this the freedom? Integrity is a moral feature, which does not approach election boxes in underdeveloped countries; its tyrannies hate knowledge and reject the history, which they consider has started with their birth.
Robert Anciaux asked me about the announced reason to reject my nomination in spite of my history, which is uncompetitive with anyone; and my scientific qualifications only equaled by few. Thus, they accuse me to have contacts with foreign intelligences, as if I am well acquainted with the state's concealed secrets. Hence, the presidential bodies of the House of Representatives and Shura have committed a crime of revile and insulation, which are punishable by the two Articles (191 – 292) of the Crime & Punishment Law No. (12), for 1994. The sentence of which are two years imprisonment. Hence, I filed a complaint to the public prosecutor; requesting investigation and to present those who committed it to judiciary. These are Their Excellencies: Abdulaziz Abdulghani, Shura Council President, Abdullah Al-Bar and Mohsen Al-A'olafi, Members of Presidential Body of Shura Council and Yahia Ali Al-Ra'a and Abdulwahab Mahmoud, Members of the House of Representatives.
I added that if the Yemeni jurisdiction is equitable to me, I shall be obliged to seek equity at the International Criminal Court, according to Article 15 of its Basic Law, which Yemen had endorsed in Rome, on 17/07/1998.
That is because, if I do not find equality, I'd prefer to shoot myself in the head with a bullet in a public square in Sana'a, so that I will change the Yemeni, Arabic and international public opinion and the coming Yemeni generations. It's an act by the person who broke up the revolution and then accused by those put in seats to unfairly and offensively accuse him of a crime of betrayal in his homeland with foreign intelligence. How could I live in a country where leaders do not recognize the history, hate knowledge and do not remember that when he erected the republic, they had not yet reached the twentieth of their ages; while they are now sitting on the seats of power, which they had not participated in its foundation, and leave the corrupted to compete in burying it.
I said to Robert Anciaux that they might consider your sitting with me, in my office now, a crime of high treason. because I am telling you my story, complaining to you about my accusation, narrating to you my biography and explaining to you my grief and cry over my country. Yemeni and foreign thinkers know our is country is suffering from unemployment, dreadful poverty, hunger that squeezes stomachs, desperation that mutes minds, suicide that annihilates the soul and the rest of social pests, which are not in need of foreign intelligence.
Sons of my beloved country, corruption is dominating the country and strangling all human beings. Hence, Yemen's wealth is robbed and its reformers' minds are rejected. The flood of hunger is rushing towards us and disasters of time are flowing towards us, while we are helpless, perplexed with no ray of hope, since the arrows of corruption are aimed, ropes of failure are knotted, reformers ways are blocked and days of stability are limited.
Where is the independence of the House of Representatives and Shura Council? Where what is called Supreme Constitutional Court? Where are voter's rights, freedom of opinion, democracy provisions and presidential elections integrity? Where is the honor of word and honesty of tongue? Where is the honesty and esteem of human being?
Abdulrahman Al-Baidhani is a former Vice President and Prime Minister.
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[archive-e:977-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-08-31-p:opinion]
