The National Tadhamon Council announced on Saturday its withdrawal from a national council formed by the opposition days ago to lead the six-month popular revolution and accelerate the ouster of the regime.
The announcement coincided with the withdrawal of some members of the national council, mostly southern opposition figures including those living abroad.
In a statement, the Council chaired by Hussein Al-Ahmer, said the opposition’s council represents only the bodies which had formed it.
“When there are good wills and all drop selfishness and excluding others, the National Tadhamon Council will be ready to participate in any joint work to serve Yemen, its revolution and its people,” the statement said.
However, the Council announced its solidarity with and support to the people in south Yemen who claimed that the national council did not ensure their full rights, as it affirmed its reject to mandate over the youth-led uprising.
Some 23 southern politicians including opposition figures living abroad such as former president Ali Nasser Muhammad and former prime minister Al-Attas said they were surprised to see their names among the national council’s members without any prior idea about their nomination.
They announced their withdrawal for that and for other reasons including that the council, formed by the Joint Meeting Parties and its partners, did not include some political forces such as the southern peaceful movement, Harak, and the Houthi Group as well as the youth-led protesters inside the squares of change and freedom.
“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,” the southerners said in a statement.
The withdrawals also come amid fears by observers that the national council might be politically motivated at the expense of the popular revolution.
The Yemeni opposition should talk about any revolutionary solution through the protesters and it should seriously lean to the revolution and abandon political compromises to make this council a success, analysts said.