President slashes JMP

The Supreme Council (SC) of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), the Yemeni opposition parties, called (in a statement) for all Yemenis to support the “oppressed” and defend them, confirming its firm stand on the demands of the people in the southern provinces by putting right the remains of the civil war of 1994, as well as the political conflicts authority “created - and is still creating.”

SC emphasized its firm stand on opposing Sa’adah war, saying that the government of “producing” crisis across the country. SC stressed on the national dialogue based on the legitimacy of February agreement with the General People’s Congress (GPC) about postponing the parliamentary election , considering any breaking of the agreement by the GPC will be a clear evidence of the GPC’s lack of seriousness to be abided by any agreement.

The opposition protest happened a few days after President Ali Abdullah Saleh accused the JMP of creating armed conflict in the country.

“They sanctioned a war in Sa’adah in order to get rid of their rivals [in Sa’adah,] while at the same time provoking the outlaws there to take up arms against the state in order to settle political scores,” Saleh said during a lecture to high senior officials at the Higher Military Academy in Sana’a. He added that the “plot” was foiled and the military operations were stopped.

Saleh also expressed his regret over the way the opposition parties deal with the social issues facing Yemen, accusing them of “adding fuel to the fire” in Sa’adah province and some districts in the South.

“What do you want? You are against the war in Sa’adah and demand that the war stop, but you are adding fuel to the fire of Sa’adah’ sedition,” Saleh said, addressing the opposition. “You [the opposition] say that the state does not enforce the law on the outlaws in some southern and eastern provinces, but when it takes action you regard the state’s procedures as ‘suppression of freedom’ and call for marches and sit-ins to support those outlaw elements,” added Saleh.
 
According to Saleh, the JMP did not condemn the acts of terrorism by al-Qaeda in different parts of the country. Rather, they turned a blind eye to the victims of terrorist attacks.
 
Accusing the JMP of trying to seize power, Saleh said this would not be possible except through the ballot box, freedom, and democracy.

Saleh added that the parliamentary elections should have been held on time and that the opposition’s boycott of any election would fall within the democratic framework.
 
According to Saleh, the General People’s Congress (GPC) is responsible for signing the February agreement to postpone the election- with JMP which talked the GPC into signing the agreement by fabricating a crisis.

JMP’s spokesperson considered, in a talk to al-Hayat newspaper, the president’s speech as “contrary to the truth,” affirming the JMP’s firm stand on Sa’adah war and the Southern protest.

Yemen is currently battling a rebellion in the North and a secessionist-movement in the South.

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