Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
Posted in:
Editorials
Written By: Staff Editor
Article Date: Sep 25, 2007 - 1:29:57 AM
The decision by Islah from within the JMP to refuse to meet with the President of the country is unacceptable. Regardless of the nature of the meeting - whether it’s a friendly talk, an open one, or even just a chance to make acquaintances, it is ultimately still a meeting with the head of state.
Changes to the invitation, the media talk around it and the lack of seriousness of the meeting were all used to try to justify Islah’s refusal. The JMP claims to believe in dialogue and peaceful talk, yet why do they now refuse this invitation from the head of the authority. Yemeni citizens must now doubt their intentions and question whether they are really serious about dealing with the country’s most pressing issues.
The Islah party and all other parties in the JMP regularly call on the authorities for dialogue and have often accused the ruling party of hindering dialogue, but now when they are invited to talk to the president, they refuse. According to the JMP, the ruling party stands in the way of dialogue. If this were true this meeting would have been a great opportunity to expose it. Islah as the Islamist party follow the Islamic Shri’aha, yet they’ve violated an important precept by refusing a call from the head of state. This they must know is against the Shri’aha.
The public in Yemen was surprised by the position of Islah, and is rightly wondering why they refuse dialogue, which after all, is the most important means for solving any dispute among differing sides. The JMP will undoubtedly lose supporters since this position is an indication of how they will deal with the citizens’ problems. We had hoped the JMP would show the political and democratic maturity to realize the importance of dialogue in solving the country’s issues, and recognize that the responsibility of the country is not limited to the GPC, but is the responsibility of all citizens at large that love and care about their country.
We – the citizens, parties, opposition, and authorities – are all stakeholders in this; we’re all in the same boat. The dialogue we talk about here needs mature minds, open enough to absorb and deal with the issues of the day. People must join forces, and question and study to understand the reasons behind what is happening. We must put the welfare of the country at the top of our priorities away from all partisan or individualistic interests.
Parties and civil society organizations have to realize that the crises of the country cannot be solved by arousing tension and spreading chaos, but rather through debate and dialogue.