Reforms and political development [Archives:2006/926/Opinion]
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb
To encounter corruption we need economic and political reforms, and encounter poverty and unemployment we have to achieve political development. As a matter of fact, there is in our country a comprehension that matters will not run in the right course unless there is reform and political development at the same footing. Moreover, the economic, cultural and social problems and others have close and dialectical relationship with politics and will not be solved in exclusion from politics and politicians.
The real inlet to political reform and development begins with the public participation for the change and reform. In order not to lose the goal the involvement of people and masses in the political action requires necessarily approval of democratic elections law, especially after what happened in the Egyptian and Palestinian elections whose results will reflect on Yemen's local councils and presidential elations in September and November 2006. This may open a chance for large-scale and effective participation by all. Thus the Yemeni arena would witness what happened in Egypt and Palestine. Both the woman and youth segments will surely take part actively in the upcoming electoral process.
To realize the political reform and development we are in need of actually abandoning the policy of excluding or expelling others. This matter would necessarily demand a law of elections (Supreme Commission of Elections) on basis of revising election slates and representation of all political spectra in the supreme commission and its supervising committees, each according to its actual weight and size on the ground.
Those who want the political reform and development and participation in the public life have to first of all acknowledge the variables in the region and at the same time have to benefit from ideas, opinions and experiments of others as well as the efforts and energies of all. Political reform and development would not advance one step forward but with advanced laws respecting matters related to public meetings, freedom of the press by not pursuing its people and sending them to courts. Allowing people to express their just and legitimate demands is considered essential introduction to the change, reform and development in their large concept.
The political reform and development also dictate the work among ranks of the larger mass sectors (we have previously launched a slogan of plan with us, carry out with us and rule with us) and we have seen interaction of all in all plans in the period of 1970-1985.
The great and compound problems for finding suitable forms of organization lie in arranging and unifying the masses and rid them of their spontaneity. The reason is that the unorganized masses are inactive and unable to wage types of convenient struggle for influencing decision makers for peaceful transfer of power. Therefore, organization is a significant question and should not be spontaneous. It demands skilful party cadres leading the building of mass organization process for the ruling party or the opposition parties and civil society organizations that represent the lungs with which political parties and national personalities could breathe. Distancing themselves from their masses, means those political parties are facing an execution verdict against them.
There is a big difference between the political party and the mass establishments. The establishment is for all while the party is for the vanguard, the leaders of the segment or the class rather than for all. The mass establishment is the primary school that draws up features of realistic and tangible programs. Here are defined the legitimate goals and purposes from which the democratically elected executive bodies are derived in civil society organizations, which have to possess time-tabled yearly, quarterly and monthly plans to guarantee implementation.
Those plans have to have close relation to interests, concerns of the citizens and the responsibility of following them up is on shoulder of democratic organizations that are supportive of political parties. They are in affiliation with formations of the civil society through which nomination to party membership is done.
The question is whether we capable of realizing our dreams and qualified for that. We can witness the security disarray trespass the red lines and kidnappings of tourists are doubling. There are the unreasonable rise in prices of consumer stuffs and deterioration of public services and their high prices.
Will the masses of people take part in e local elections while the experience the deterioration in their living conditions? Does the ruling party have confidence and ability to render words into actions to lead us towards achievement of the goals in order to participate in the elections and active political and development reforms?
It is imperative to read experiments while getting prepared for the coming local, presidential and parliamentary elections.
Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Tarb is an economist and a professor in Political Science and an expert in administrative development. He is the head of a number of professional associations, such as the Arab Group for Investment and Development.
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[archive-e:926-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-03-06-p:opinion]
