Unity must be above all interests

Yemenis are celebrating the 19th anniversary of their national day, the reunification day. The difference this time is that individuals are contributing to the celebrations. Most individuals raised Yemen’s flag on top of their cars, homes, shops and offices. This happens for the first time in Yemen’s history. Usually it is the state that celebrates the national day and other anniversaries of the revolution and independence. The motive was jealousy and patriotism after they had seen some mercenaries and rioters raising flags of the former public democratic republic of Yemen.

What annoyed the Yemeni people most was that the Aljazeera channel seemed to be not happy for Yemen’s unity and its announcer Faisal al-Qasem who is well known for his socialism affiliation. Al-Qasem insisted on steering away the Yemenis’ joy and cheer for their national day so he invited one of his socialist fellows and another speaker. The team played a dramatic play live on Aljazeera TV channel speaking against Yemeni unity.

Why did al-Qasim screen this play on the anniversary of the unification? Why he did not invite one of the Yemeni unionists? Only Al-Qasim and the Aljazeera staff know the answer to these questions.

The response to Aljazeera’s show by the Yemeni people was more faithful to unity. This was expressed through the uncommon celebrative activities by the Yemeni individuals across the country.

Some youth who took part in the Yemeni youth camp held in Aden earlier this year said they were amazed for the many development and economic projects implemented in Aden. They said the number of projects in the southern parts of Yemen was high compared to the number implemented in the northern parts of the country. They wondered about the repetitive complains by some separatists that complain about unity and about the alleged unfair distribution of wealth and authority.

Again these youth said that while they were camping in Aden they were visited by the vice president, the prime minister, minister of defense, and minister of foreign affairs and all of them were from the south. The youth said they did not think about the issue of provincialism until they heard about the claims of unfair distribution of authority.

The problem is not of southerners and northerners as the authority now is from all parts of Yemen, south, north, east, and west. The problem is in the minds of the heads of the Yemeni opposition political parties who feel that they are excluded. They are not happy for democracy and elections results that excluded them.

Exactly since the announcement of the results of the 2006 presidential and local councils elections, the opposition parties started their campaigns against not only the ruling party but also against stability and development in the country at large. They have been playing a dangerous game. They have been using all possible means to incite the public against the ruling party. Among the means they have been using was inciting the southerners against the ruling party and gradually their efforts have gone further to incite them against unity.

All dialogues between the ruling party and opposition ended in failure because their real demands were not to reform the elections law. Their actual demands were to get a share of authority and wealth by any means. Their real problem started when they accepted the adoption of democracy and the multiparty system. The adoption of democracy and the multiparty system coincided with the reunification of Yemen and the establishment of the Republic of Yemen.

If the opposition and the ‘southern movement’ really want reforms and more decentralization or more administrative, financial, economic, and political reforms likewise they have been announcing, “We totally agree with them,” but this is not their real demands. They proved this point when they agreed to postpone parliamentary elections that they were sure they would lose if they took part in it. They had called for amending the elections law and the constitution but when it was due to vote on the amendments they gave their backs to the amendments. This lead us to a conclusion which is they are not happy with democracy as all they want is to achieve their own personal interests on the account of democracy and all national foundations.

We agree with the international attitudes including the attitudes of the United States and the European Union and the Arab League that all supported the unity, security and stability of Yemen and all urged for avoiding violence and for adopting dialogue for solving any problematic issues.

However we stress that any dialogue should be based on the unity of the country, protecting democracy and national foundations, and on the constitution and laws.

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