Mohammed Khidr Almotamar.net - Sheikh sultan al-Barakani, assistant Secretary-General of the General People’s Congress (GPC) and member of the dialogue committee with political parties said the present dialogue with political parties comes after the process of the latest local and presidential elections. Every party has presented its election platform to the people who spelled out their opinion.

Through its local and presidential election platform of president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the GPC gained the people’s support ant there is no longer in the hands of the opposition anything to use for going further than that. He said,” This is the people’s choice and their will, and their stand (the opposition) in this ongoing dialogue is very positive.” Al-Barakani also said he could not give his final judgment out of one or two meetings because the issue of dialogue and as it is said “the Satan lies in details rather than headlines.” He maintained saying it is easy to choose titles and headlines but it is difficult to come out with results while the Satan is present at details. “Our conviction gives us a kind of satisfaction that we are all willing and prepared for dialogue as partners in the political process and we have avoided many of issues that are object of differences, “al-Barakani added.

In an interview to almotamar.net conducted lately sheikh sultan al-Barakani the subject of dialogue was a decision the GPC general secretariat had taken before the travel of the secretary general abroad for treatment. After he was back home he was approached about it as he is entrusted with managing the dialogue with the parties represented at the parliament and the first meeting of the dialogue committee was held on 19 of this month and the atmosphere was good and normal as there is an almost common desire among all parties about the dialogue about the main issues on table. A branch committee was set up to prepare agenda of the dialogue and on 20th of this month we finished the proposal on the agenda and mechanism of administrative and information work. There has been accord on enlisting proposals on the agenda of coming meetings. The major steps will be started with regard to serious dialogue on issues related to amendments, bi-cameral parliamentary system, the local authority and development of the local system through election of its heads, as well as the law of press and publications. The meeting also tackled report of the European Union the Yemeni parties had signed it as a foundation in dealing with the suggestions and recommendations mentioned in it as the European Union had overseen and monitored the latest process of presidential and local elections. He said the present process of dialogue is better than previous ones as there is sure and common desire to develop the political process and to reach to positive results serving the general interest and enhance the democratic process and political partnership.

On progress of dialogue and the reason why the GPC proposed it at this stage al-Barakani said the GPC has always been calling for dialogue whether collective or bilateral. Its proposal of dialogue at this stage comes after President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s initiative and his announcement last Ramadan on developing the local authority system, election of local councils and the issues mentioned in the president’s election platform regarding development of then democratic action through development of issues of freedoms.
It is sure that we and our partners in the political action to be present to discuss those issues although we have a parliamentary majority and we are able to vote on them but it is a must that the partners in the political life be present with us and to listen to their ideas and remarks and may benefit from them. Our partners have to be present with us in discussing the very important issues freedoms and the local authority and trade unions and to come out with results we agree on and respect.
He said there is intention of benefiting from others experiments especially regarding the rep [ort of the European Union on monitoring the presidential and local elections. The report has given us some issues that we should have dialogue on although it obtained them mistakenly as information reached it wrongly. Some remarks in the report are already included in the laws and some of them are associated with constitutional procedures while other some already exist and need no dialogue. Dialogue is originally the rule even if we take time and differ in opinion. Our agreement that we are partners in the political process we have to look for the best ways to develop this process. The report presented by the branch committee entrusted with dialogue agenda, conditions and guarantees we have to sign it as parties confirming we are going ahead in the process to the end.

Commenting in response to a question on the stance of the YSP secretary general Yassin Saeed Nouman with respect to the events of Saada and whether the situation in Saada is object of dialogue, Sheikh al-Barakani the subject of Saada does not need dialogue. The constitutional establishments and the popular will have given their opinion on the matter as being an issue of rebellion and sedition and resistance of authorities. Thus the government duty is to practice its tasks also the armed forces are found for defending the countries and their sovereignty, stability and security. They are not decoration. The issue of al-Houthi received enough concessions and opportunities. It was proposed on them to form a political party and there is no objection about that. We told them to establish recognizable organisations and not to consider them a state inside a state and promote slogans advocating sectarian allegations. We have never differed in the sectarian aspect in the past or the present and will not in future. In Yemen there is full coexistence and sectarian differences are nit felt absolutely. If there was a stand of some parties towards this question they have been blamed for it and it is not an issue put for dialogue. On sidelines meetings we can listen to various viewpoints and blame each other. As for the main issue we are all in agreement. In the meeting of Tuesday the 20th of this month we talked about it and all agreed that what is happening in Saada is not in agreement with principles of the constitution and the law and has nothing to justify it because up until now those rebels did not say what they originally want. To tell the truth, Dr Yassin Saeed Nouman was the first one who asked in this regard about who are they and what they want. Maybe such little mistakes happen out of political wrangles and irritations but they will not harm the dialogue or to say that the political process will stop at this limit.
Sheikh al-Barakani said recently there was a difference in points of view between his part the GOC and parties of the JMP concerning the question of Al-Haq Party. He said maybe the brothers in the JMP were not having full information about that party when they were informed that Al-Haq party has no organisation to take an excuse that they did not take the decision of dissolution.
That party has only a religious reference. There is no political bureau or permanent committee or general committee or party conference. The Haq party has not convened a party conference in 16 years since its foundation. It has no reference body to say it possesses the solution it is only the religious reference that established the party and asked the parties committee to take the decision of dissolution. As for arguing that head of al-Haq head of the political office is present with the JMP it is fact not a question of appeasing this one at the expense of an absent legal right. This situation we will overstep it as long as we are all in agreement on developing the political life and that dialogues are the ones removing the gap and clearing stances as well as correcting wrong concepts.

On the necessity that some parties in the JMP to stop writings and statements bearing implied support for Saada events sheikh al-Barakani said Saada is a national issue and supposed that all deal with it out of that. It does not mean the GPC or the ruling authority alone. Upon this basis the Islah party stands because the issue of homelands cannot be subject to bourse of willing or not willing. It is a national issue and all of us as Yemenis have to live to our responsibilities by taking the correct decision and defend the homeland and its sovereignty, security and stability. The homeland is the life boat for all of us.

With respect to the implied side maybe some newspapers and some persons are shrill under the influence of the dialectic theory that where the right is I am against. “I may have something in nay soul I want to pass on through this disquieting stance against others. But out of the clear concept the issue of Saada or any problems occurs in any country’s the responsibility of all of its sons, neither the GPC or the parliament or the present government. All organisations and political parties in the first place as fully responsible as partners in the political life and must be having a clear and open stance,” sheikh al-Barakani commented. In the past those parties used to say they did not possess a clear picture of what is going on or the problem concerning Saada. At this time there had been a meeting with those parties and were presented with a full report presented to the Defence Higher Council with all details. The request in that meeting was to take a collective stand in this regard but that was not done and parties have taken individual stances of their own. At present we find that there is the right stance in the Islah press and media. Irritating writings are now absent in most of the press of the parties and I think the exceptions here and there will disappear because the national issue is bigger than to wrangle in it. The whole country is responsible in this regard and we cannot abandon the democratic regime which is the essence in arbitration when there is variance in viewpoints. The issue of Saada has never been one unknown to the parities.

In the question of Saada there is a politicized trend in the first place. It is a backward direction and a will contradictory to our constitutional, legal and political concept in this country about which the electors expressed in the elections that have been lately held. So where are those rebels in Sadda with regard to the people\s will that approved the constitution, the political practice and political pluralism through the political parties and the parliamentary, presidential and local elections?

On what he comments on some western media considering what is happening in Saada as a Shiite rebellion, al-Barakani said “First of all the governorate of Saada is not a Shiite area and the Houthis are originally not the Zaidis or the Shiite. Zaidi affiliates are in more than five governorates and here are Zaidis in all governorate of Yemen and the Sunnis are present in all governorates as well and even in Saada. The Sunnis and Zaidi Shiites in Yemen have never differed throughout ages. A Zaidi would lead prayers and the Sunni prays and vice-versa and that is normal and has no influence. If Saada were for the Zaidis alone we would have said there is a sect wanting to eliminate another sect”

Al-Barakani said the governorates of Yemen cannot be divided into this sect or that and to say Saada is the place of this sect and others in other governorates are its adversaries “this is illogical.” He has further said there may be external parties wafted to send a message to their rivals as the United States of America, the international community and the Arab countries around and say “we are able with our fingers to move in more than one place some issues in order to know that we are a figure that cannot be overlooked,” and have found a group of stupid and reckless people who have responded to them. “ If we are to ask Zaidi sect affiliates in Yemen about any close relationship with the Jaafari or even the Shiite sect we would find difference in this stance..” Probably the clearer this in this regard is the Iranian constitution that grants the Arabs, the ZZaidis and the Jews their right just in personal status, which means the Zaidis are not part of the sect of the state, al-Barakani, says. But in Yemen and since the dawn of history to date we have not differed in sectarian matters it is probable that many of Yemenis have forgotten about sects leaders and have known more about Marx and Lenin and many of the leaders of human changes. The whole issue in this regard is a kind of ignorance about this aspect or a kind of exaggeration. What is happening in Saada is not among the question of freedoms that can be exercised. Raising arms in the face of the state and leading rebellion and disruption of local security are not an act part of practicing freedoms.

On whether there is a time ceiling for the dialogue among parties al-Barakani said they were discussing that question but he added that their dialogue usually takes place in the narrow time space separating the holding of elections and thus they used to be governed by a special political issue. This time, he said, they have chosen a space of time separating them from the political process scheduled in 2009. Al-Barakani thinks the tasks will be finished long time before that date. There are attempts for defining time but he thinks that the issues on table of dialogue will take time especially that there are some legislations to be amended and developed and others to be created. With regard to issues pertaining to homelands there must not be a haste saying “we do not want them stillborn from the first moments although the existing intentions give a kind of optimism that the subject will be finalized as soon as possible because until now the atmosphere is very good and the intentions are true and all are ready to open their hearts and minds to others.

Sheikh al-Barakani has attached great hope to the media and the media of the GPC to deal with it out of the national interest. He expressed his wish that the media should not deal with dialogue as a present-day topic and it should not be a present-day subject among political parties. The issues presented for dialogue are ones that deserve from us to deal with them positively