The opposition and political action alphabets [Archives:2008/1171/Opinion]

By: Ali Mohammed Al-Khamisi
Through this article, I don't want to deliver political recommendations or lessons on how Yemen's political parties should oppose the authority in a positive manner or according to the constructive content that is internationally recognized in most of the world countries, particularly the ones applying democratic systems of governance.

This is because I am sure that the majority of opposition parties in our beloved homeland don't need advice or lessons from this point of view. Instead, they are in need of real efforts to remind them that they are aside from constructive political action alphabets. Had these political parties cared about alphabets of the political action, they would have been seen closer to logic and objective speech.

As is widely known, the opposition represents the other face of government in any country, and this means that it should not go beyond the limit of the political regime's entire frame. Consequently, peaceful transfer of power will be the common goal for both the government and opposition while difference of visions, policies and programs is the only means adopted by each party to win peoples' support and trust via ballot boxes.

This is the democratic concept or principle we want to be established in the thoughts and behaviors of our parties. It encourages us to have talks about reality of the political business exercised by the opposition parties in the political arena. Regretfully, the way the opposition parties exercise political business on the ground makes us pessimistic about seeing an improved democratic experience in the future of Yemen.

The opposition parties, specifically Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), consider the political action in their dictionary, or as demonstrated through their behavior, a means for extortion or sharing or division according to its stained concept of what it calls 'political game'.

At this point, I suggest a different viewpoint for this strange terminology in politics because I think that politics, by its broad concept, is not merely a game at the hand of a particular party (ruling or opposition).

Had we but admitted that politics is an art of the possible, this possible would not have got away from the national principles and higher interests of the people. Consequently, a political action framed with narrow partisan interests, cheap extortion and under-table practices is doomed to fail.

There is an elected authority that controls the country, and therefore we must let this authority implement its platform via which it won support of the majority of voters. We should also monitor the way it performs one by one, and having realized that this authority did not achieve promises it had made to people, the opposition must then assume its role via civilized, democratic, peaceful and constructive means to uncover the real mistakes the authority might have so far committed during implementation of its platform.

We must not carry the hammer of destruction like JMP does everyday and then tells us that it practices its political right as ensured by the Constitution.

Dear sirs, the Constitution was set up by a legislator to organize an existing relation between partners of the political action, taking into account that every action should be in favor of the nation and citizens. The Constitution doesn't justify lies, fabrications and destructive partisan activities, nor does it call for sharing power and senior posts in the government.

Please be loyal with this homeland that gave you more and more interests and favors. Please stop plotting a gloomy a future for the coming generations of this nation for the sake of gaining power and senior posts in the government. The current stage is so sensitive and requires all patriots in the ruling and opposition parties to care about the higher interest of the nation and stand up against those who attempt to harm security, stability and unity of Yemeni people. I conclude this by giving a piece of advice to our brothers in JMP to give up their scandalous political maneuvers, make use of any viewpoints and constructive criticism directed to them and look at them positively, though contradictory to their policies this criticism is.

The opposition parties must not throw any advice or criticism they receive to their own cycle bin because this may uncover their baseless allegation that they accept the democratic option and welcome other's criticism. These parties are advised not to hurriedly direct charges to any people criticizing their behaviors or policies as part of a campaign against them since such campaigns are merely intended to disclose certain facts the JMP is trying to hide by employing the various methods and means available.

The position parties suffer a great problem, and this is why they resort to halting progress of their political action at one time, and adopting extremist acts at another time.

I think that it is time to forget about obstinacy, arrogance and narrow partisan interests. It is time for us to get closer and closer to serious and real dialogue for discussing higher interests of the nation that help lead to a prosperous future for Yemen and its coming generations.

Source: Nabanews.net
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