Saleh attacks opposition as campaigning reaches climax [Archives:2006/979/Front Page]
August 7 2006
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SANA'A, Sept. 6 ) The electoral campaigns of ruling General People's Congress and Joint Meeting Parties candidates, Ali Abdullah Saleh and Faisal Bin Shamlan respectively, reached a climax this week in the run-up to competitive elections, the first of the kind in Yemeni history.
The days preceding the election are witnessing increasing propaganda, pictures and slogans of both presidential candidates as the event draws nearer and Yemeni citizens nationwide seem to be extremely engaged in such propaganda.
This week witnessed the strongest campaigns yet for both candidates, which found Saleh harshly attacking the JMP during campaign rallies in Hajja and Raima governorates. He declared that opposition parties are struggling to return Yemen to the Imamate regime and that such opposition is the other face of the Imamate and the socialist regime.
Addressing supporters at a rally in Hajja governorate, Saleh accused the JMP of planning to control the Ministry of Oil and Minerals and petroleum companies, as well as the Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology, and described JMP leaders as “symbols of corruption.”
At another rally in Raima governorate Wednesday, Saleh accused opposition leaders of being secessionists and having a disappointing past.
“The secessionists and dissidents came together because they all have the same gloomy history,” Saleh reacted. “They [opposition leaders] were partners with the authority, but they conspired against national unity and so paid the price. They want to drive the wheels of development backward. This is the primary reason for their gathering.”
The second reason, he added, is that the forces are believed to be an alternative to the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), which was a partner with the national unity. “These conspirers want to replace the YPC in various corners of the nation. They occupied posts, but they failed to do their jobs when they turned out to be corrupt officials,” Saleh continued.
He blamed the YSP and Islamic Brotherhood movement for plotting a coup against the regime. “They want to make Yemen like Iraq and Somalia but they can't,” he added.
On the opposing side, JMP leaders held a large campaign rally involving hundreds of thousands of Bin Shamlan supporters in Amran governorate, which stunned the GPC.
At the rally, Bin Shamlan emphasized the necessity of a fair judiciary to settle all revenge issues, while prominent opposition leader Sheikh Hamid Al-Ahmar affirmed that supporters seek change to rescue Yemenis from the nation's dire situations. He urged the crowd to back Bin Shamlan.
According to Al-Ahmar, Amran locals' support for Bin Shamlan proves Yemenis' loyalty to stand for right and liberate their fellow citizens from poverty and oppression. “Since the revolution 43 years ago, the situation remains similar to the pre-revolutionary period – there's been no change,” he commented, “Liberating Yemenis today is easier and change can be achieved through the elections and democracy.”
An official source within Bin Shamlan's campaign described the Amran rally as “huge” and considered it a genuine step toward real competition for Yemen's highest political post. The JMP confirmed in a press release that the Amran rally involved the majority of Hashed and Bakil tribesmen, thus outnumbering Saleh's rally in the governorate.
The release indicated that Yemeni tribes reject the current totalitarian regime and opt for a peaceful transfer of power. According to the release, tribal support for Bin Shamlan stems from a genuine intent to establish a state of law and order. The tribe, which formerly was accused of backwardness, now backs democratic transformation.
The JMP release also accused official media of partiality toward Saleh in covering the election campaigns, alleging that official media haven't given other candidates equal coverage opportunities.
The official source ascertained that the presence of the sons of Parliament Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar (currently seeking treatment in Saudi Arabia) and Sheikh Abdulmajid Al-Zindani's son at Bin Shamlan's rally invalidates GPC media reports that the two sheikhs back Saleh's campaign.
Observers say the campaigning is becoming more tense as the election draws nearer and the GPC and the JMP exchange accusations, particularly after the latter charged the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER) with disgracing its candidate.
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