Just as UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar has returned to the Yemeni capital, Sana'a to help NDC representatives find a way out of the southern issue, hoping that a new round of negotiations will allow representatives sitting on the 8+8 Committee reach a consensus on Yemen's new federal break down, Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told al-Hayat newspaper that the National Dialogue Conference could be extended to up to another three months as a result of a delicate political stalemate with southern representatives.
"The national dialogue, which was due to end on September 18, could be delayed by one, two or three months, but not more," the pan-Arab daily quoted the Yemeni foreign minister as saying this Wednesday.
While all NDC representatives have agreed that Yemen should be turned into a federation to answer the people's calls for better and fairer political representation, al-Harak (Southern Secessionist Movement) has opposed any formula which does not revert to a pre 1990 binary political map: North Yemen, South Yemen.
While Western powers and the GCC have made clear they favor the formation of five regions, Harakis have argued that they would only authorize a bi-federation, thus blocking the negotiation process entirely.
With no where to go, all NDC talks were suspended, at least until today, Wednesday.
If NDC representatives fail to find an agreeable solution to Yemen's political and institutional crisis, there will be no drafting of a new constitution and no way forward. In essence Yemen would remain stuck in limbo, facing much insecurity and instability, not only political but also economic and social as the country would risk unraveling under its won weight.
Now because of the hostage situation, the military has had to refrain from storming the third floor as not to un-necessarily endangered the prisoners' life.