Silver LiningAppeasing the Tribes or the Public anger ?! [Archives:2005/864/Opinion]
By Mohammed Hatem al-Qadhi
[email protected]
The latest decision of president Ali Abdullah Saleh to lower fuel prices has clearly shown how powerful and influential the tribe is still in Yemen. The president and the government were heedless to the hungry protesters who took to the streets motivated by poverty. These poor people were faced with bullets, tanks, armored cars, artilleries and other sorts of weapons. I have hear that those who have been detained are facing all sorts of intimidations and harassment. The angry masses have been considered lawless rioters who should be taken to jail and put on trail. I know that the damage that hit the public and private properties was big and shows uncivilized way of protesting . Yet, those rioters are a select few force drive is still unknown but the other thousands of protesters have been motivated by nothing but poverty and hunger. That is, not all the protesters are troublemakers and need to be prosecuted.
When it comes to deal with the fully armed tribes, the situation is completely different. Tribal chiefs have been given warm welcome at the presidential palace and dealt with in a lenient manner. These guys have been angry with the government's decision to increase fuel prices, angry with the president and even asked him in their own tribal discourse and norms to setback and reverse the decision. The other day, the president came out with the decision to reduce the price.
The reason, of course, was not to appease the enraged public but to appease the tribal figures who seemed more powerful than the public, the political parties and civil society organizations. Forget about the people in the capital Sana'a, Taiz, Ibb, Aden, and Hodiedah who do not exercise the techniques of the tribesmen in imposing a blockade on gas and oil flow.
The reverse of the government's decision also shows how weak is the role of the political parties and civil society organizations which has not been able to compete the tribes, let alone replace them.
The political regime in Yemen which is tribal based on nepotism has worked hard to weaken the role of civil society organizations, empowering the tribes to the extent of 'tribalizing' our life, replacing their norms in place of the law. This has made the tribes' role more influential and powerful than the state and its institutions. That is, Tribesmen and Sheikhs are more powerful and influential than intellectuals and opinion makers. Educated people are even looked down upon. Tribal Sheikhs can get whatever they like from the government. Instead of downsizing their influence the political regime boosted the power of Sheikhs in their areas and provided them with military as well as financial support, a behavior which enhanced the power of the tribe in the community. This brought about a sort of what can be called “tribocracy” in the country and hampered efforts to establish a civilized state based on law and order.
This is why the ordinary citizens protesting the fuel price rise had been repressed with excessive aggression and use of power. On the other hand, the tribesmen challenged the president and the state; they blocked the gas flow and fired against the gas tankers. The outcome was the reverse of the government's decision, putting it in an embarrassing situation, and encouraging the tribes to be more and more aggressive with the state. The government will never question those who attacked the gas tankers and if it does, the issue will be sorted out in a tribal manner. But, for those ordinary protesters who have no tribes to back up, they will be put in jail and abused in various forms and might be president before court. I have heard that the aggressive policemen who lack basic knowledge of how to deal with citizens according to human rights principles, are now hunting down for the protesters, something which they can never do in Marib, al-Jawf or any other tribal areas. I am not here trying to defend the riots and rioters but I am trying to see how the influence of the tribes has weakened the state and created double standards in dealing the citizens.
To drive the point home, such a political regime which is still governed by the tribal norms will never be able to build a state based on law and order that should be applicable to and respected by all people regardless of the social categories. A civilized state needs civilized leaders who cherish the law more than anything else and work hard for its implementation.
——
[archive-e:864-v:13-y:2005-d:2005-08-01-p:opinion]
