Six months ahead of presidential elections, peaceful transfer of power is discussed in a Women Journalists Without Constraints symposiumIs the opposition serious this time? [Archives:2006/930/Reportage]
Mustafa Rajeh
Such lively political dialogue promises Yemenis a heated presidential election campaign in six months. It took place at a symposium entitled, “Peaceful Exchange of Power,” organized last week by Women Journalists Without Constraints.
“Do we need 50 years so the ruler can teach us peaceful exchange of power?” These are the words with which Sheikh Hamid Al-Ahmar began his comment on Yasser Al-Awadhi's speech at the symposium. A member of the ruling party's General Committee, Al-Awadhi called on all to promote peaceful conduct in daily life and social relations.
The heated symposium witnessed the presence of Dr. Yassin Saeed Noman, General Secretary of the Yemeni Socialist Party, and Mohamed Al-Yadomi, General Secretary of the Islah Party, who participated with two papers on political reform and peaceful exchange of power. Other opposition leaders also attended, as well as Yunis Haza'a from the ruling party.
The symposium followed an opposition press conference wherein it refused continuation of the Supreme Committee for Elections and Referendum (SCER) to administrate upcoming elections. They presented a paper containing their suggestions for free and neutral elections.
The level of representation at the symposium gave it a lively spirit that was reflected in the discussions and remarks. The audience described the symposium as the most important of the past 10 years, saying it marked a turning point in the political arena. This especially was realized in the alliance of Islah and the Socialist Party, who think to introduce a joint candidate in upcoming elections.
Al-Yadomi is famous for his rare public appearances in the media and at symposiums, often leaving Islah representation to Abdulwahab Al-Alanisi and Mohamed Qahtan. This gives the impression that his appearance often indicates declaration of important party policy matters.
“On behalf of Islah, I would like to assure all that we are taking serious steps.” With these words, Al-Yadomi answered several questions inside the hall and those often asked by political observers.
He confirmed that Islah will make no unilateral step outside Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) consensus, adding that the Islah candidate will be the same candidate JMP agrees upon, whether he is a Socialist, a Nasserite or Islamic. This formerly was a skeptical point among political and public groups, considering Islah's previous nomination of President Saleh in 1999.
Al-Awadhi hinted at this particular point when he hoped opposition's overt stance in the press and other media would be the same as discussed behind closed doors. The symposium and the JMP stance wiped away all doubts, which formerly spoke of some measures being arranged under the table.
Al-Awadhi insisted Islah declare its recent dialogue with ruling party leadership. Al-Yadomi confirmed that its leadership has no enmity with the ruling party: “We are brothers who differ among themselves. We have different points of view. Even the peaceful transfer of power issue is simply a difference of agendas, not enmity.”
Al-Yadomi pointed out that the difference is because the opposition, elites and political, social and popular forces no longer accept presidential and partisan GPC administration. He said the JMP can administrate the state in a better way, adding that the arbitrator between the ruling party and the opposition is the polls. He noted that such arbitration should be fair, genuine and constitutional.
Situations now differ from the 1990s, when Islah's proximity to opposition parties was weak, particularly to the Socialist Party. Al-Yadomi's paper disclosed this switch, focusing on adopting a modern address. The party's religious monopoly no longer exists, except in the minority led by Abdulmajeed Al-Zindani. Ahmed Yahya Al-Kibsi praised Al-Yadomi's method, hoping other Islamists will follow suit, especially those only interested in classifying and calling people infidels.
Islah's attitude reached a point of difference with the president. Al-Yadomi's paper confirmed that the long presidential office term is not a good means for stability; rather, it is a means of violent use of power or cheating public opinion for a long stay in power by oppression. This inhibits the political and economic skyline and leads to conflict, which is covered under imaginary stability. Conflict and wars in such regimes often are fuelled by lobbies and corrupt mafia.
Disguised and overt violence often is used as an escapist device to get out of problems that are incurable through legal methods. The pro-regime tends to develop parallel untransparent procedures, which administer political policy with illegal political procedures. This will be the ultimate result the ruling elite will reach through its violent ruling methods, as it cannot remain in power using non-violent methods. Under a totalitarian regime, social struggle changes to authority struggle in place of peaceful transfer of power.
The ruling side tends to confirm its presence through violence, not services, as it cannot introduce services because it is busy directing battles with its opponents. In the hands of key executive administration figures, concentration of power cancels other institutions' independence, turning them into puppets controlled by the presidency.
Cultural basics of political reform
Noman's address was distinguished by its cultural perspective on political reform, which has remained the basic demand in past decades. He asserted that Yemeni unity was an inclusive general reform that secured changing Yemeni people's lives. Its importance was realized in its openness for dialogue, which is fruitful when it is a peaceful dialogue about citizens' problems. He confirmed that opposition's tackling of peaceful transfer of power was meant neither to harm nor be personal grudge, but it is because of their share in commitment to this country's future.
This will not be achieved through the view of fighting rivals who exchange insults, but through peaceful dialogue. The basis for difference with the authority is in securing guarantees that convince everybody that election results will be fair. This will be guaranteed by reforming the SCER. It is the problem the JMP now is discussing with authorities in order to secure fair and impartial elections whose results will satisfy all. Such election results will be agreed upon and defended by all.
JMP speaker Mohamed Qahtan said the opposition desires upcoming elections to be a medium for a better public change, which will be achieved by laying the foundation for peaceful democratic change by forming fair election committees. He said if the ruling party agrees, Yemen will achieve a step toward peaceful transfer of power. But if they think things will continue in the same manner, they must know that conditions have become unbearable.
So far, there is no candidate for the elections
Al-Awadhi, deputy head of the ruling party's parliamentary bloc, said the ball is now in the opposition's court. He continued, saying it is not reasonable that the ruling party will play both ruling and opposition roles, unless there is no real efficient opposition or there is an under-the-table agreement that the party should play opposition's role.
Al-Awadhi pointed out that elections are the symbol of transfer of power. He called on the opposition to declare their nominee for the elections because the contest of political forces for the presidential post will prove that peaceful transfer of power in Yemen is not impossible, as long as the ruler is ready to leave his position for his contesters.
Qahtan returned the proverbial ball thrown in opposition's court to the ruling party's, calling for the ruling party to determine its nominee because the president does not lie. “President Saleh clearly declared that he will not run in upcoming elections and he will keep his word.” Qahtan said the president will not nominate himself, but his party will announce him as their nominee, so he urged the opposition to search for a nominee.
The Unionist Nasserites participated in the symposium with a paper presented by Deputy General Secretary Ali Al-Yazidi. Vintage politician Mohamed Al-Rubae made some comments that were met with compliments by all.
Following Haza'a's accusations against the opposition, Al-Rubae said he listened again to televised accusations of the opposition's hostility and controversy in order to cover their failure. This prompted many speakers to reply because Haza'a's speech voiced the same accusations the opposition is subjected to in the ruling party's official press, which constitutes a campaign charging treason and indecency, not dialogue and fruitful criticism.
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[archive-e:930-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-03-20-p:report]
