Ruling Party not Serious with Opposition Dialogue, Study Says;Forms New Coalition

The Yemeni Center for Strategic Studies (YCSS) on Sunday launched its annual report for 2007 that dealt with issues including public protests, war in Sa’ada, and dialogue between political parties over forming election committee and election amendments, and the ruling party's coalition with the Opposition National Council. 

The report revealed that Yemen witnessed different economic and political transformations in 2007. Moreover, the report said that the socio-economical and political variables formed important signs in the relationship between the ruling party and opposition parties.

The report assured that the crucial events that happened in 2007 came because of the comprehensive crisis between the ruling party and opposition. Also, it pointed out that Yemen took only baby steps in both political and economical growth since 1994 until today.

The report said that political life and decision making are controlled by the ruling party, considering this as a wrong policy and the reason for the comprehensive crisis.  It added that corruption, wealth depletion, economic recession, deterioration of people's lives exemplified the way that the ruling party followed.

Further, the report said that the ruling party used incorrect policies that threw the country in social and political congestion, adding that the wrong policies that the government follows reflected the citizens' objection to its decisions.  

It assured that the ruling party doesn't have political administration to reform the country's bad condition, describing the ruling party as a dictator when making decisions or administrating elections.

Furthermore, the report revealed that the ruling party used the public media for its purposes. It accused the ruling party by its influences to change voters' opinions.        

It added that the ruling party's reliability was deteriorated in both inside and outside the country. It also added that the ruling party didn't fulfill its obligations to raise the state employees salaries under the law of wages and salaries system.

It indicated to the blackout that journalists faced, adding that many websites belonging to the JMP were shut down. Further, the report considered the decision that issued to stop Al-Haq Party members from practicing their role was an unfair decision.

From another side it assured that the new events in the country complicated the relationship between the ruling party and the JMP's. Further, it added that the democratic system depends on political parties' principles and national partnership.

It indicated that the outcome of the dialogues between political powers was weak by all standards and that was the reason of mistrust between the ruling party and the opposition parties.  

It also pointed out that the ruling party resorted to a formal dialogue with other opposition parties; known as the Opposition National Council including 12 parties, instead of finishing its problems with the opposition JMP. Such a step was meant for facing the movement of the Joint Meeting Parties.

To face the political dilemma as well as the official failure to produce solutions and the attempts by the General People Congress (GPC), JMP resorted to reveal the ruling party's goals and dangers on the democratic margin, democracy and multiparty. 

It also worked with people to enforce the duties and legitimate demands, defend democracy and general freedoms.     

The report considered protests to get rights as a positive manner inside the Yemeni society in terms of political progress that Yemen is witnessing. "It is a constitutional right to struggle for legal rights," said head of the (YCSS) Dr. Mohamed Al-Afandi.   

The report said that the achievement of dialogue depends first of all on seriousness of the ruling party which has potentials to make dialogue a success. However, the report assured that opposition has to do the best to make dialogue a success.

Head of the center Dr. Mohammed al-Afandi called for optimism that this issue will be solved, but called all political elites to join political dialogue.