The Yemeni Opposition Movements Unite
YES!!!!! (yes, yes, yes) These are some of the big boys, the heavy hitters, the elder statesmen, and they subordinated their individual agendas and joined together for a democratic Yemen.
These opposition leaders and movements overseas formed a coalition to press for a “New Yemen” through democratic processes and peaceful means, for an end to Yemen’s isolation, a constitutional democratic system, and an end to corruption.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Ashag, an ex-minister of foreign affairs issued a statement: “We are an organizational framework of different political affiliation that agreed on common goals to rescue our homeland from its deteriorating political, social , economic, and security decline…”
The group includes Ex-President Ail Nasser Mohammed, Abdullah Noman, and Abdussalam AL-Hakemi. “Democracy cannot be achieved with the military in power,” Al-Asnag said. “We aim for peaceful change, direct and free elections,” as well as stable and cooperative relations with regional, Arab and world countries.
Main Objectives of the movement
1- Forming an interim national unity government to supervise and run elections.
2- Elections should be made under the supervision of the EU and donor countries.
3- Formation of National Defense Council under the interim government to supervise all military, security and other armed forces.
4- No constitutional amendment are to be made at the current stage.
5- Building a true democratic foundation.
6- Full commitment to the international declaration of Human Rights.
7- Resisting all calls for violence in and out of Yemen, confront violence and its sources.
On the local level, the movement said that it will :
1- Eliminate all security and army check points.
2- Choose qualified military personnel from all governorates for leadership positions.
3- Reinstate all officers and soldiers dismissed after 1994 war to service.
4- Encourage comprehensive reconciliation among all Yemeni tribes.
(For anyone late to the game: Saleh has been in power for 27 years, the government is almost completely corrupt, the people are starving. There is a presidential election next year. Saleh said he wouldn’t run for reelection, but he said that before the last election which he won with 96% of the vote. But Yemen is about to move from dictatorship to democracy all by itself. Watch.)
Internally people and groups are coming together to stand for democracy and democratic principals: 28 civil society organizations, professional syndicates and individuals (mainly journalists) announced the formation of the “Civil Society Coalition” to work for freedom and democracy, and to work for establishing a democratic society in Yemen. Their first activity was to issue a press release on press freedoms, condemning the recent wide scale violations. The oppositon parties within Yemen are working through the mechanism of the Joint Meeting Parties to achieve a greater consensus. Individuals throughout society are speaking out and taking a stand. Stay tuned, big things are afoot.
*Also* this opposition plan to regain civilian control of the military will aid the US because thats where much the support for al-Qaeda and the Baathist fighters going to Iraq comes from, so changing the leadership and subjecting it to oversight is a very good idea. Also the weapons smuggling is a function of top military commanders.
