Yemeni reactions on GCC initiative for solving Yemen crisis

By Nasser Arrabyee/11/04/2011

The Yemenis have differently responded to the GCC initiative declared yesterday for solving their crisis.

Some welcomed and agreed with it, while some refused, and some had reservations on it.

In an exceptional meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh, the GCC foreign ministers late Sunday April 10th, suggested that President Ali Abdullah Saleh should hand over his powers to his deputy, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi and form a unity government chaired by the opposition for formulating a new constitution and conducting elections.


The opposition spokesman Mohammed Qahtan welcomed it, while the young people in the streets refused the opposition parties to represent them in any possible talks in the Saudi capital. These young people in the sit-in camps say they would continue their protests until the regime is collapsed.


“Any party that would claim representing us, would be illegal, no dialogue, no negotiation until the regime is collapsed,” said a statement by the young people in the sit-in camps responding to the initiative in Sana’a Monday.


However, the independent political analyst, Ali Saif Hassan, chairman of the Political Development Forum, said it would be a disaster if President Saleh refused the GCC initiative, and also if he accepted it.


“Because it was a failed decision by the GCC ministers,” Hassan said.
“The initiative adopted the views of the opposition and ignored the ruling party and its supporters, and also it ignored the views of the independents and the young people in the streets,” He added.

Abdullah Dawbalah, one of the protesters, expressed his fears of civil war if this initiative fails.

“Those who agree on it are not representing everyone in Yemen, and those who refuse it also are not representing everyone, but the failure of this initiative means to me the war which will be a disaster to all,” Dawbalah said “ So, it must be accepted even if it would allow Saleh to stay without powers.”


Effective people from military and tribal and religious leaders also welcomed the in GCC initiative.

The troika of symbols of the military, tribal and religious leaders here in Yemen: the defected general Ali Muhsen, and his friend and his tribal Shiekh, Sadeq Al Ahmar, and their friend cleric Abdul Majid Al Zandani welcomed the GCC initiative.

The three leaders previously declared their support for the popular peaceful revolution against the 33-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
“We were expecting this honored position from our brothers in the GCC,” said a statement from the general’s office on Monday.

For Hassan Zaid, the secretary general of the Al Haq party, the party from which the slain rebel leader Hussein Al Houthi dissented, said the GCC initiative might be accepted only for preventing a possible war between the army of the republican guards of the son of President Saleh (Ahmed) and the central security of Yahya Saleh (nephew) and the army of the defected general Ali Muhen, the 1st armored division.

The capital Sana’a is divided into two parts, with each group of the spilt army controlling one of them.

“The GCC initiative was an agreement between President Saleh and general Ali Muhsen at the beginning,” said Hassan Zaid.


For the ruling party, it said in a comment published on its website Monday, that the GCC initiative was almost the same statement of the Qatari prime minister which was considered as flagrant intervention in Yemeni affairs.