South Yemen secession aspirations growin in South yemen
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 8:47 pm
South Yemen dossier under discussion in Yemen's National Conference
26/06/2013
Report by commission says concrete grievances in South Yemen should be solved before deciding the territory's future · Yemenite political representatives struggle between a centralised and a federal model · Pro-independence partisans insist to say that the only solution for "two peoples with two identities" is separation
Yemen's National Dialogue Conference has started to discuss the South Yemen dossier. In South Yemen, a strong social and political movement is claiming for the dissolutiuon of Yemen's union and for the independence of its southern areas. The Conference, which started in March and will last till September, has now received a report from its South Yemen-dedicated commission, Yemen Post says.
The report says that Yemen should solve southern grievances before considering which should be the territory's future. Among them, there are issues such as the restoration of stolen properties to Southerners after North-South war in 1994. The commission -the nespaper writes- also considers that a "lack of national cohesion" caused by "social, political and regional segregation policy" should be addressed beforehand.
According to Arab newspaper Al Hayat, the state structure is already being debated. Turning Yemen into a federal state is the preferred option by several political forces, including former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's party and the Yemenite Socialist Party. In this scenario, Yemen would be divided into several provinces, each one having its own government and parliament. But this would likely lead to the division of both North and South Yemen into smaller federal units.
Al Hayat also writes that not even federalism will be an easy path. Muslim Brotherhood's Islah party is fiercly against federalism. According to Islah, federalism is a strategy aimed at dividing Yemenites. Furthermore, the party says, it would hamper implementation of sharia law.
The National Dialogue Conference was agreed last year so that to establish which should be the foundations of Yemen after the end of current political transition. Saleh stepped down as Yemen persident in February 2012, but remains a very influential leader. The Conference brings together representatives from different political inclinations, but pro-independence Southerners are not taking part in it.
Pro-independence camp mobilizing for secession
In the meanwhile, pro-independence partisans continue to show their strength in South Yemen cities, and especially in its capital Aden. Last month, thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of the city in demand for re-establishment of independence. Demonstrators, AFP said then, were showing South Yemen flags and portraits of former South Yemen president Ali Salem al-Bid.
Digital newspaper Al-Monitor interviewed Al-Bid one month ago in Beirut, where the pro-independence leader is exiled. Al-Bid says that federalism is not a solution and that North Yemenites and South Yemenites are "two peoples [...] with two identities" that need their own, different sovereign states. Pro-independence leaders admits that other South Yemen leaders support the establishment of a federal Yemen, but he considers that after the 1994 war this option is not possible anymore. Al-Bid further says that present-day Yemen is a country where only two political actors share political influence: former president Saleh and Islah islamists.
http://www.nationalia.info/en/news/1501
26/06/2013
Report by commission says concrete grievances in South Yemen should be solved before deciding the territory's future · Yemenite political representatives struggle between a centralised and a federal model · Pro-independence partisans insist to say that the only solution for "two peoples with two identities" is separation
Yemen's National Dialogue Conference has started to discuss the South Yemen dossier. In South Yemen, a strong social and political movement is claiming for the dissolutiuon of Yemen's union and for the independence of its southern areas. The Conference, which started in March and will last till September, has now received a report from its South Yemen-dedicated commission, Yemen Post says.
The report says that Yemen should solve southern grievances before considering which should be the territory's future. Among them, there are issues such as the restoration of stolen properties to Southerners after North-South war in 1994. The commission -the nespaper writes- also considers that a "lack of national cohesion" caused by "social, political and regional segregation policy" should be addressed beforehand.
According to Arab newspaper Al Hayat, the state structure is already being debated. Turning Yemen into a federal state is the preferred option by several political forces, including former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's party and the Yemenite Socialist Party. In this scenario, Yemen would be divided into several provinces, each one having its own government and parliament. But this would likely lead to the division of both North and South Yemen into smaller federal units.
Al Hayat also writes that not even federalism will be an easy path. Muslim Brotherhood's Islah party is fiercly against federalism. According to Islah, federalism is a strategy aimed at dividing Yemenites. Furthermore, the party says, it would hamper implementation of sharia law.
The National Dialogue Conference was agreed last year so that to establish which should be the foundations of Yemen after the end of current political transition. Saleh stepped down as Yemen persident in February 2012, but remains a very influential leader. The Conference brings together representatives from different political inclinations, but pro-independence Southerners are not taking part in it.
Pro-independence camp mobilizing for secession
In the meanwhile, pro-independence partisans continue to show their strength in South Yemen cities, and especially in its capital Aden. Last month, thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of the city in demand for re-establishment of independence. Demonstrators, AFP said then, were showing South Yemen flags and portraits of former South Yemen president Ali Salem al-Bid.
Digital newspaper Al-Monitor interviewed Al-Bid one month ago in Beirut, where the pro-independence leader is exiled. Al-Bid says that federalism is not a solution and that North Yemenites and South Yemenites are "two peoples [...] with two identities" that need their own, different sovereign states. Pro-independence leaders admits that other South Yemen leaders support the establishment of a federal Yemen, but he considers that after the 1994 war this option is not possible anymore. Al-Bid further says that present-day Yemen is a country where only two political actors share political influence: former president Saleh and Islah islamists.
http://www.nationalia.info/en/news/1501
Allahu Akbaar no muslims will be secessionized