The Opposition
NY Dr. Bilqees Abu Usbu’, a political science teacher at Sana’a University said that the main factor behind weakness in Yemeni parties is lack of coordination between their leaders and bases and lack of attention by the leaders to the need to coordinate with their public “not only during election times, but throughout the year.”
She added that “such meetings are part of a civil society movement that comes from the base and tends to climb upwards. They resemble an important turning point in the efficiency of the opposition not only on a national level, but on a pan-Arab level as well. It is the first time that leftists, nationalists, and Islamists meet in one alliance that continues to strengthen in the grassroots level after decades of rivalry and enmity.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mohamed Al-Dhahiri, another political science instructor at Sana’a University noted that such initiatives consolidate democracy within the opposition parties themselves as well as in the country as a whole. “But this also shows that those parties have formed this alliance for the sake of maintaining balance and not because they have a solid and concrete action and organizational plan.” he said.
Rule One: Mobilize your base.
