Some 23 members in the national council formed by the Yemeni opposition on Wednesday to prepare for a transitional council have rejected the participation in the council on the grounds they did not have a prior idea about electing them.
In a statement, the members, all were southern opposition figures topped by former president Ali Nasser Muhammad, said, “We were surprised seeing our names among the members without discussing that with us to know our real opinions”.
“The council also ignored some political forces in the country including the southern peaceful movement(Harak), the popular revolution, the Houthi Group and others which led the process of change in the country,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, the Joint Meeting Parties and its partners through the National Assembly of the Popular Revolution elected 143 members for the national council, which will lead the six-month revolution and accelerate the ouster of the regime.
At least 30 members have resigned from the council so far.
Opposition officials said the council included members from all parties, civil society organizations, change forces, youth, intellectuals and academics and social alliances. Today, the council was reported to have elected its head, spokesman and technical manager.
The statement called for the council to be divided in half between north and south Yemen because of the significance of the southern issue; to restore and boost trust and mobilize all energies at the moment to accelerate the popular uprising and achieve its goals.
“Forming the council by the JMP took place hastily without good preparation. The process was overshadowed by randomness and this exposed the fragility of the council which was supposed to gather all forces calling for the ouster of President Saleh,” it continued.
The statement came as observers argued that the opposition was wrong because it should talk about any revolutionary solution through the youth-led protesters at the squares of change and freedom in most Yemeni cities.
Observers also fear such a council would be political motivated at the expense of the popular revolution through converting the revolutionary group into politics.