The elections, two platforms and two people [Archives:2006/981/Opinion]
BY: Abdulbari Taher
Yemen is entering a new phase in its democratic experiment. The second presidential elections and the repeated local administration elections are different quantitatively from previous elections.
The previous elections, whether presidential or local, were almost similar to the race between the arrow and the turtle for Zenon de Elea. In some rounds of the Shoura Council a son of one of the sheikhs did not find one who dares to run against him and was forced to order his driver to nominate himself in the competition. The driver accepted the competition but then even he voted for the son of the sheikh.
In 199 the rival of President Saleh was from the president's own party and the fever of competition was affirming the soundness of the president's approach and rightness of his policies and measures.
The upcoming elections are a real competition between two political programs and two different approaches with two distinguishable candidates, politically and ideologically affiliate with different thoughts with their own ardent followers. In a backward and illiterate society, the competition between persons rather than platforms is a question of great importance. In Yemen where illiteracy among men is more than 60 percent and among the women more than 70 percent and prevailed by low education, sectarianism and social relations dated to the pre-state age, the persons in competition represent a priority and the platform and the political address of the party come in a second place.
Yemen deserves the experiment of the race for the first post in the state. Yemenis are very much proud of the Koran praise on their Queen Bilqis (Queen of Sheba) when she declared not to make any decisions without consulting her people.
The election race is different this time. Competitor Faisal Bin Shamlan is a candidate bringing colors of the social, political and ideological spectrum. He heads all the opposition under the Reform congregation, of both its tribal and religious wings, the socialist of secular and liberal trend, the Nasserite Unionist. It is a bloc that is still young and advancing. Bin Shamlan derives support from a wide base of the middle class, exposed to gradual extinction, and he also depends on many farmers who see in the policy of price doses as destruction of their agriculture and desertification of their land. There is also an army of the poor, the unemployed and thousands of students and graduates seeking jobs and the minimum necessary to support life.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh sticks to protection of the revolution, the republic, the unity and democracy where the historic accomplishments have great value. He focuses on the unity and democracy achieved under his rule. Saleh still has large influence backed by administration of the state and is extends throughout Yemen with his support by the power of the army and security, the public property and the media.
Surely, the absence of efficient and decent judiciary enhances the chances of Saleh and the lack of the opposition's national awareness and lack of experience. This lack could mean betting will be on he local councils more than on the presidency.
The important thing is that the serious competition has already begun and the step will be an example followed all over the Arab region and many third world countries.
If the race is enhanced with fairness and transparency it will in an important part of it counted in favor of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and will lead Yemen, the government and people, to the forefront of emerging democracies. Whatever the result of the elections they will open horizons of the future and the ruler will realize he is the representative of the nation and its deputy rather than its owner. If the competition is characterized by rivalry and equivalence and capability of the opposition to attract voices of electors who are angry of the governance corruption and its despotism it will force change. The real challenge remains creating equal footing for the governance and the opposition and preventing a slip into confrontation and violence with priority for free and democratic competition characterized by responsibility, truthfulness and reason. It was a dangerous beginning to the campaigns with the killing of the supervising committee head in al-Jawf and president Saleh's resort bringing religion into the election battle.
Religion is a great denomination, sacred and common among all and should not be played with in the battle of elections. More dangerous is to politicize it in the way detrimental to the country and the people. Sedition of the sectarian game is very harmful and dangerous and the bloody experiment of Iraq indicates that playing this card is destructive to all and no one benefits from it even the players. Yemen's blood is still bleeding from the wounds of 1994 and the Sa'ada war of 2005 and the continuous confrontations since 1994 between the state and the jihadis.
Yemen needs to find it's place in the world the democratic experience will help.
Abdulbari Taher is a Yemeni Journalist and the former chairman of Yemeni Journalists Syndicate.
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[archive-e:981-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-09-14-p:opinion]
