Hashid: Existing Power-sharing Challenge Real National Dialogue

 Political activist and revolutionary Ahmad Saif Hashid addresses in this issues about Yemen political arena, from chaos in Taiz to share both facets of the regime and foreign intervention in Yemen affairs. The dialogue starts as follows:

Interviewed by Alhowia editor-in cheif

You have been recently accused of raising sectarian turmoil, what is the truth and who can benefit?

I am not sectarian neither did I, nor I will be in future. I am a civil state man and I will not involve myself in conflict of such type, as sectarianism would cause the society dangerous confrontations that can corrupt the present, pervert right progress of the civil state, and cause it heavy damage. I have a civil project, which I will not abandon under any circumstances.

It is those who have no a civil project in future who attempt to make sectarian riot out of the present, those who depend on narrow loyalties at expense of the present and future of Yemen society.

Enemies of Yemen are the first to benefit from such a sectarian partition of Yemen. We have to fight any attempt to move Yemen into a sectarian conflict stage are are regret that some media outlets still rely on past remains, thinking it would gain, yet loss is inevitable. The same is also applicable on some political forces that want to create an ideological conflict.

Sectarianism can turn into bloodshed the social and human cost of which would be highly expensive. It can also mar social structure and all citizens, with no exceptions, would find solutions so difficult.

It is said that you are a tool to be exploited by Iran to destabilize Taiz security, Is that right? What profit can Iran yield? Who is beneficent?

Such rumors are usually made by those who blame their tools. It is the parties that want to satisfy Saudi Arabia and to extort more money from it It is those who waged six wars against Sada'a and who would like Yemen-Iran confrontations to occur within frame of some interests and regional encounter that is not in favor of Yemen, rather can cause a potential war-torn country.

I really got astonished when I came across lies fabricated by some forces, as it did not occur to me that a party would dare use former regime techniques of elimination, and surprised how media outlets affiliating to these forces are dedicated to publicize lies against opposition parties. Instead of solving imbalanced situations, they attempt to quell opposition parties and to pass the violations they were subjected to as if existed. Such fabrics are not only concocted against me, as all opponents of Gulf Initiative were also blamed.

Do you think Iran interventions were enough for the president of Yemen to condemn. Or other statements were involved?

Two possibilities are there. The first, the president might be misinformed, I repeat once again "misinformed" as he declared no details or documents on the intelligence cell he had declared to be arrested, till now.

The other possibility is the condemn was a trial made by the president to satisfy Saudi Arabia, especially Yemen-Saudi ties witnessed a great cool at time of the denouncement, due to the president's quit of visiting Saudi Arabia to offer condolences when Prince Naif died, and as the direct contact between the new Yemen leadership ( Hadi and Aliriani) and U.S.A was made without Saudi intervention, as well as Yemen failed efforts to release the abducted Saudi consul, so Hadi had to do anything to reactivate bilateral ties among the two countries- even at expense of Iran- which actually occurred. Saudi Arabia still seems to apply pressure on any potential Yemeni-Irani ties. Hadi still under arrest of such pressure practiced by Saudi Arabia.

Do you think Iran intervention would profit Yemen or any other country?

Sure, any possible involvement would be at expense of national interests and sovereignty. Multi-lateral ties have to be built with political, social, economic priorities and interests..etc. being In consideration. However, it is actually Saudi and U.S interventions that are the real challenge Yemen faces not Iranian ones. Iran offered unconditional support of one billion dollar to cover electrical power and other human and service facets. Yemen could have been benefited from such an offer, yet Yemen leadership fear of Saudi Arabia angry has precluded.

Do you think Shouqi Hail (Taiz mayor) would succeed in managing Taiz? Is it right that the forces that attempt to hinder him are instructed by the north? as Shouqi himself alluded      

Shouqi is good leader and is more technocrat than being a politician. He is subject to pressure, political give and take, and attempts to  foil exercised by some political forces that want to exploit decision making process in Taiz. The Sana'a-based forces centers have managed to be present in Taiz and to be influential as they established centers in the past. They still support such centers with purpose of thwarting Taiz mayor efforts of bringing stability security to Taiz.

I would like to greet Mr. Shouqi for his steadfast position in front of such forces. I think he will make important achievements in Taiz if attempts to destabilize end, enough support, and self-dependence to take decision are available.

How do you evaluate ongoing chaos in Taiz? Who can get advantage?         

What happens in Sana'a also take place in Taiz, and the power centers also exist in Taiz. The conflict among those who want Taiz to be a hostage to agenda and narrow factional interests, to turn it into feudalism affiliating to a party or a force center, and among the public that want to move Taiz out of the factional interests into a civil project, making it an example  province to be followed.

Do you think that tension in Taiz is caused by  Insar Allah ( Allah advocates) ?

I have no minute details about what happened, yet in general, what happened should not be allowed to be turned into sectarian conflict. Sectarianism should not be exploited within political difference, neither in Taiz nor in any other province in Yemen. I do not think Taiz will be involved in such direction, despite the fact that some political forces attempts to push affairs into it, thinking it would find required public and use them against political rivals.

Is it right that Insar Allah Youth do not belong to Taiz, and they are not there? , rather from other provinces?

As I told you, I have no strict details, as to the best of my knowledge they are there, yet their existence is modest and usually lack ideology, and the other part tries to exaggerate to get popular support, gain loyalty and use sectarian weapon against opponents.

Is it right that Insar Allah youth were allowed to Taiz by Saleh's coordination?

I have no proof to say this.

Who can take advantage of Taiz square evacuating?

As long as no difference is clear between a pre-and-after revolution Taiz, squares existing is the only national guarantee we have to adhere with, for a successful change project and revolution goals achievement on ground. Significance of such existing, especially peaceful revolution, lies behind non availability of any guarantee for absence of exercises of former regime, due to the difference feature Taiz to the extent that no a specific party manage to control it. I support such a peaceful revolution till sought change is achieved.

 How do you assess the revolution? does it still continue or has changed into an initiative and a crisis?

It is difficult to judge like this. Much time is needed to make judgment about the evolution, what can be said it suffers from traditional forces control, yet the end is not clear and the initiative has not provided successful solutions.

If traditional forces managed to contain the revolution, the live ones may cause it to get back, as long as the initiative and political compromise provided nothing, which gets clear increasingly.

Do you think the revolution can flourish as it was at first? What are the influential factors?

 Hope still there and change remains a cosmic necessity. Political fail of the initiative may still be possible with the revolution be the haven and a long queue of youth and political forces in the future still also possible.

Unfortunately,  are acts that did not assure, yet the revolution is not necessarily failed as it is the it is the key reason of change.

Is it right that Nabil Alkhamri recruit youth of Taiz and give them weapons to raise chaos there?

As I told you earlier, the force centers in Sana'a still controlling and have tools in Taiz to have it being a feudalism, and a successful civil project in Taiz is out of its interests, yet I am so confident a new civil Taiz will triumph eventually.

Will the national dialogue succeed? Do you think all parties will be represented in a suitable amount?

The clear question is that will the Gulf initiative signing parties pass in managing a real national dialogue?

From my own perspective, I am not so optimistic whether the ruling parties would succeed in causing the dialogue to pass, as its performance represented by power-sharing hinders such a success and a milieu in which all national forces can be represented. Judiciary politicization, corrupted people, economic crisis, and lack of tackling cannot result in successful national solutions.

So, such power-sharing would inevitably lead to eliminating the national forces outside "power alliance"

I would like to note that dialogue managing parties are held accountable for representing all forces and for a given part cease of participation not turn to be a pretext to eliminate this part, like what happened while establishing the national council.

What would happen if the dialogue failed? What destiny Yemen will find, having the constitution been challenged by Gulf Initiative?

Yemen will not leave such a tunnel without a civil and democratic state. The solutions offered by Saudi Arabia or any other ones would not be suitable for Yemen revolution, so Yemeni people have to produce a national solution taking priority of Yemen interests into account , not foreign ones. So the initiative is not the suitable solution for Yemen as it is not responsive to desired change.

Islah-related media have recently disclosed two things: the first, Hadi's  interim presidential period should not last long, Second, unveil reports of attempting assassinating Hadi.

 Why that occurs in such time?

  Islah party is known for its pragmatism and selfishness. It does not confide in Hadi, yet if such stretch be of interests to its agenda, I think they would  not reject. Islah expect to get profit from Hadi to displace as many Islah opponents as possible. Once it achieve this, it will coup Hadi, especially if the latter has no enough power. Islah through its media discourse apply pressure on Hadi to inform him that it is the only force capable to protect him, with purpose of cause him implement its agenda and goals.

Quoted from "Alhowia"