Since he took the helm of the country last year, President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi has been working to address the contentious issue of Southern secession.
In our weekly interview, we speak with Dr. Ahmed Yaseen Al-Sulaimani, a member of the National Dialogue Conference (NDC), a professor at Aden University, and member of the Southern Movement, or Hirak. Also joining our conversation is former Endowment Minister Judge Hamoud Al-Hitar. We discuss what steps have been taken to resolve the Southern Issue--including addressing the Civil War of 1994 and the Northern occupation of Aden--since Hadi came to power and what work still needs to be done.
As a Southerner, what were your thoughts when Hadi entered the office of president?
Dr. Ahmed Yaseen Al-Sulaimani: I was relieved. In fact, this sense of relief was a common feeling felt by citizens living in both the Southern and North. We were living in a tough circumstance where the crisis [of 2011] could have driven the country to another devastating war. Hadi was chosen by a popular youth revolution which involved youth from all areas of the country. For this reason, I was truly happy.
Let's now shift the question to Judge Hamoud Al-Hitar. Do you think President Hadi has exerted appropriate efforts to address the Southern Issue?
Judge Hamoud Al-Hitar: I agree with Doctor Al-Sulaimani, the people were happy when Hadi was elected. They were glad to see him take charge of the country. If the reconciliation government takes advantage of the popular and international support that Hadi is receiving, it will make a big change for Yemenis nationwide.
Other procedures concerning the nation and people are indefinitely deferred. If we review the agenda of the Gulf Initiative, we will see the reconciliation government and how they were not able to execute it. Therefore, the Southerners have waited a year since Hadi assumed power without escalating protests. But they have seen no tangible changes.
What about the decisions Hadi made about the Southern Issue?
Al-Hitar: The decisions were only a matter of preparation for power transfer from one region to another, from one group to another or from one faction to another. But the Southern citizens have not benefited.
It seems as if you say Hadi dealt with the Southern Issue as personal one, not a national issue, is this true?
Al-Hitar: Hadi should have taken stricter decrees.
Can you give an example of the decisions that Hadi should have taken?
Al-Hitar: The first decision should have been to reinstate the Southerners who were fired from their government jobs [after the Civil War of 1994], while restoring administrative authority back to how it used to be prior to the war. Also, President Hadi should return the retirees who were referred to retirement in undue time, and promote equality among all employees. The third decision that I would implement is to hold control of the large plots of land and real estate that were hijacked by powerful government officials [during the Civil War]. Lastly, Hadi ought to give the Southern and Northern governorates the authority to manage their affairs locally.
Hadi has already begin setting up a committee to reinstate the fired employees and return the stolen land, right?
Al-Hitar: Yes, the committee was set up. However, if you look closely, the committee [in charge of reinstating the fired Southerners] you will find out that it is limited to the retirees, but it doesn't take into account those fired after the 1994 war. On top of that, the committee has not accomplished all the missions. There are two committees that were not authorized to resolve the issues. Instead, the committees conducted investigations, presenting it to the president. He selects what he wants and ignores the rest.
Perhaps the advisors of the president who approved this way wanted to overwork him. The right way is that these two committees should be given the authority to settle the issues presented to them with ultimate decisions. The state should make these decisions operative.
Dr. Al-Sulaimani, some say that Hadi has appointed lots of Southern figures in critical posts of the state, reporting that 70 percent of these posts are occupied by Southerners.
Al-Sulaimani: Those who say this appear to sympathize the Southerners by these positions. This matter has nothing to do with the Southerners because this has happened based on particular calculations. It is true that some Southern military figures have been included in the new the new military elite, but the matter is still in the hand of the center in Sana'a.
Do you believe that they [the Southerners] are in a powerless position?
Al-Sulaimani: Yes. I suppose they [the people of the South] are [powerless] because the regime in Sana'a has dominated the decision-making process in the past and will continue in the future.
Do you believe the possibility of President Hadi making the same mistake [allocating state positions to the Southerners] as the former President Ali Abdulla Saleh?
Al-Sulaimani: Several pressures are applied to President Hadi considering he is a Southerner but, with all due respect, I think he is working for the sake of the North and not the South.
Do you think we should excuse the Reinstating Laid off Employees and Lands Committees for their slow performance?
Al-Sulaimani: Of course it's a very, very heavy legacy and we can't say the issues currently addressed by the two committees are simple. However, unfortunately not any of the Southern problems, such as cleaning, health, electricity and water, has been solved since Hadi took office.
Is it true that all governorates, both in the South and North suffer from a lack of basic services?
Al-Sulaimani: No. Here in Sana'a we can use blankets to warm ourselves, but in Aden people are living in extreme heat and are living in harsh circumstances.
Al-Hitar, When looking at the two committees, where do you feel they lack the most [with their work]?
Al-Hitar: First I want to comment on the issue of granting vital state positions to Southerners. Frankly, I say Northerners have no problem with that. We [Southerners] handed over presidency, judiciary, Cabinet, military leadership and several essential positions. But we want President Hadi to carefully select capable leaders in the South. It's not important for him to be satisfied with whomever he chooses [rather he should put his focus towards seeing satisfied citizens with his decision.] Several new Southern leaders showed up recently due to the current situation. Once I told a Southern minister about the necessity of visiting the area he belongs to but he said he visited it the last time 25 years ago. What is the benefit of such minster? The new appointments should aim to satisfy all Southern people.
Is President Hadi still dealing with the old Southern Movement leaders?
Al-Sulaimani: The regime has the same exclusionary way. It is still dealing with the mentality of the 60's and did not keep up with the new issues in the South.
I say that Northerners should resign all state jobs for their Southern brothers, either leaders or ordinary people; in condition that people in the South be satisfied with them.
Do you know that only one of the newly appointed ministers in the reconciliation government can pass through Southern governorates?
Who is the newly appointed minister?
Al-Hitar: There's no need to mention his name.
Have those Southern leaders that the President Hadi is currently dealing decided to unite or separate from the North?
Al-Hitar: That was in the 90s. But since then, a lot has changed. Therefore, I think the situation will be worse unless the president deals with the new mentality of the youth. If the president cannot pave a way for the dialogue [between the states and its citizens] then things will be worse. It will delay the issues, forcing dialogue to occur after an attempt to from them.
To modify the situation in the South, I call on President Hadi, the former president Ali Abdulla Saleh, sons of Sheikh Abdulla Bin Hussein Al-Ahmer, General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmer and whoever else was involved in taking the land [from people of the South], to give the land back. President Hadi, Ali Abduallah Saleh should only need one house each. Al-Ahmer's sons aren't in need of Ali Salem Al-Beidh's house in Aden.
What about you, Mr. Al-Hitar?
Al-Hitar: If owned any lands in the South, I would be the first to give these properties back to the state. But, I have no lands in the Southern and eastern governorates.
Al-Hitar said that Northerners handed over presidency, government, judiciary and military for their Southern brothers but you say Southerners have nothing. How [hasn't anything changed since the Southern issue]?
Al-Sulaimani: For example, Hadi has been politically involved as the vice president for a long time, but without stirring a limb to rectify problems with the South. Now he is a president and this is how roles change. There are also Southern leaders but they follow partisan or individuals' affiliation that pay nothing to Southern people. So, when Northern brothers say these positions are given to these Southern people we say take both those people and positions.
Are you saying you don't want any authority?
Al-Sulaimani: No, it's not that we don't want authority. We want a state and a regime where we can run and manage ourselves. For example, Abdulaziz Abdulghani represented Taiz governorate in the state but did he representing it [Taiz] politically? No. Anyway, three or four Southerners in authority can do nothing, and I think they are serving only to benefit the North.
© Yemen Times 2013
