SILVER LININGUnity & the psychological cracks [Archives:2008/1146/Opinion]
Dr. Mohammed Al-Qadhi
People expected that the National Defense Council and the joint meeting of the president with the lawmakers last week would bring about concrete solutions to the nagging problems the country in general and the south in particular is going through. The outcome was disappointing as it was just an attempt from the president and his ruling party to disclaim their responsibility for the exacerbating problems people are painfully facing.
I believe the attack on the opposition in the joint meeting of the lawmakers by the president was not logical at all. It is not the fault of the opposition that angry rioters are going uncontrolled. It is rather the recklessness and indifference of the government towards such growing ailments. Neither the opposition nor the government is, of course, representing the genuine issues of the public. They have been busying themselves with the composition of the elections commission and the amendments of laws, while the people are hungry and need concrete actions to their living hardships.
The National Defense Council came up with a magic solution which is electing the governors by the local council representatives. This is not the stroke that broke the camel's back guys. It is rather corruption, lawlessness and absence of accountability. Current problems Yemen is facing do not need any further painkilling policy techniques but rather a national project to salvage the country from a potential collapse into chaos.
People are hunting for any tiny opportunity for employment. This is very clear in the case of the youngsters in Dhaleh province; when they heard of recruitment to the army, they rushed to it. They felt frustrated when their applications were rejected and went to the street to demonstrate their anger. I understand violent riots are wrong. I do not, however, dismiss the idea the government facilitated protests to go violent in order to find reasons for repressing them.
The president talked as if he were in another country. He said any inflicted people should seek the parliament to get their problems addressed. He forgot that the al-Ja'ashin people went to the parliament and the cabinet to complain the repression of their influential Sheikh but they were repeatedly let down. Similarly, the military pensioners shouted loudly and peacefully for over a year but with no echo. I believe there is a cultural background behind this hatred temper in the south, but it has also a psychological factor for the hatred to the repressive regime has psychologically transferred to the geography of the repressor. Such temper makes the protestors lose sympathy of the people in the north and this is the purpose of the people in charge. It is also because there are no experienced people to lead such protests which, of course, make their protests with no defined objectives and this is risky.
Now, the gulf is getting wider and wider. It is the emotional and psychological cracks in the hearts of the people that need also a prompt address. We remember how people both in the north and south were thrilled with joy and pleasure in the eve of May 22, 1990. It was cheerful and great moment when people were singing to the achieved dream with its potentials. The 1994 civil war was, however, catastrophic and caused serious cracks in the hearts and minds of the people. Now, this violent response to the growing angry protests broadens, adds fuel into injury and broadens the gap. I understand unless serious actions are taken to address the problems and consequent fractures, these cracks will widen further and this is not in the interest of a unified Yemen.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Qadhi ([email protected]) is a Yemeni journalist and columnist.
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