Yemen Post: How do you view the situation in Yemen, particularly the protests that are taking place in the south of Yemen?
Mohamed Allaw: Crisis in the southern governorates is a result of a crisis. The State’s Unity -The Republic of Yemen- emerged by merging two dogmatically different regimes. It inherited many political, economic and social challenges from the former regimes.
Instead of looking for solutions to those challenges that the Republic of Yemen came into, conflicts between parties started and on May, 4, 1994, and the country entered a civil war. Military personnel from the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) serving in combat areas were excluded from their military pay and many others were exiled from both the government and public jobs due to the excessive centralization of the General People’s Congress (GPC).
YP: In your view, how should the current problems facing Yemen be addressed and solved?
MA: The government should focus on socioeconomic growth. The sense of deprivation in the society must be addressed. People want to see democracy delivering.
The President and the government are ignoring the problem. They know all about the crisis that is currently happening, but still do nothing. Influential people are occupying the country’s wealth and spending it as they want.
When trying to solve a problem, the government destroys it. So far there hasn’t been a fully practical and truthful vision to the crisis. Many political groups offered their agendas. However, these contributions didn’t go into the necessary details.
YP: How do you see President Saleh’s role in helping bringing security in Yemen?
MA: Institutions can play important roles in bringing peace and stability to post conflict societies both by helping to end conflicts and by contributing to understanding the social differences.
A person can’t do that alone. It is not valid to say that the president is responsible for every single mistake that happened in the country. And also it is not logical to say that he is the one who finds a way to create unique solutions to the problems in the country.
President’s way of resolving problems in the country leads to a security breach. When elements who had been involved in chaotic and sabotage acts that threaten Yemen’s stability become leaders and wealthy people, this starts raising questions.
YP: Mobility nature …. fingers are appointed to members in the government to be behind the southern crisis, what do you think?
MA: There are many who want the continuation of the southern mobility through which they get better positions in the government as they have the ability to show that they are defending the country.
YP: Has the General People’s Congress (GPC), President Saleh’s party, fulfilled its promises made during the elections?
MA: If the (GPC) fulfilled the pledges it made during elections the electricity wouldn’t be going off for hours every day. Even though the ruling party has always been the face of rule in Yemen, President Saleh and his sons rule the country and nothing goes against their will.
Ruling Party affiliates will only do as asked by the president. They dare not to go against his will. As Yasser Al-Awadhi, a leader in the ruling party’s General Committee said, the (GPC) did not rule the country yet in order for opposition parties to request the circulation of power.
We will do harm to the (GPC) if we say it is a political party and carries the responsibility of the country. The (GPC) is like other Arab parties. When it’s leader leaves power or dies, so does his party affiliates.
YP: Are you seeking an important position in the government?
MA: I am not seeking any office. My strong point is that I live free. I agree with the idea that power is desirable, but power and fame don’t have an effect on me. I don’t want to be famous or powerful.
It’s amazing to see how different people chase power, money and fame. We are human and what interests me interests everyone else, including power, money and fame.
Yemen Post: How do you view the situation in Yemen, particularly the protests that are taking place in the south of Yemen?
Mohamed Allaw: Crisis in the southern governorates is a result of a crisis. The State’s Unity -The Republic of Yemen- emerged by merging two dogmatically different regimes. It inherited many political, economic and social challenges from the former regimes.
Instead of looking for solutions to those challenges that the Republic of Yemen came into, conflicts between parties started and on May, 4, 1994, and the country entered a civil war. Military personnel from the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) serving in combat areas were excluded from their military pay and many others were exiled from both the government and public jobs due to the excessive centralization of the General People’s Congress (GPC).
YP: In your view, how should the current problems facing Yemen be addressed and solved?
MA: The government should focus on socioeconomic growth. The sense of deprivation in the society must be addressed. People want to see democracy delivering.
The President and the government are ignoring the problem. They know all about the crisis that is currently happening, but still do nothing. Influential people are occupying the country’s wealth and spending it as they want.
When trying to solve a problem, the government destroys it. So far there hasn’t been a fully practical and truthful vision to the crisis. Many political groups offered their agendas. However, these contributions didn’t go into the necessary details.
YP: How do you see President Saleh’s role in helping bringing security in Yemen?
MA: Institutions can play important roles in bringing peace and stability to post conflict societies both by helping to end conflicts and by contributing to understanding the social differences.
A person can’t do that alone. It is not valid to say that the president is responsible for every single mistake that happened in the country. And also it is not logical to say that he is the one who finds a way to create unique solutions to the problems in the country.
President’s way of resolving problems in the country leads to a security breach. When elements who had been involved in chaotic and sabotage acts that threaten Yemen’s stability become leaders and wealthy people, this starts raising questions.
YP: Mobility nature …. fingers are appointed to members in the government to be behind the southern crisis, what do you think?
MA: There are many who want the continuation of the southern mobility through which they get better positions in the government as they have the ability to show that they are defending the country.
YP: Has the General People’s Congress (GPC), President Saleh’s party, fulfilled its promises made during the elections?
MA: If the (GPC) fulfilled the pledges it made during elections the electricity wouldn’t be going off for hours every day. Even though the ruling party has always been the face of rule in Yemen, President Saleh and his sons rule the country and nothing goes against their will.
Ruling Party affiliates will only do as asked by the president. They dare not to go against his will. As Yasser Al-Awadhi, a leader in the ruling party’s General Committee said, the (GPC) did not rule the country yet in order for opposition parties to request the circulation of power.<