MP Ahmed Saif Hashed t Alwahda newspaper: The traditional powers represent a hindrance in the pathway of change

. The corruption in the ruling system is deep-rooted-
. The youth are the real makers of the change, so they have to be involved in the political dialogue-
. The revolutionary forces are still resisting and rejecting imposing certain ideologies upon the revolution-
 .The Independents are the prominent force, and very soon, they will be able to create a national decision-
. The police regimes contributed to the failure of the Liberalists-
. I am a leftist when the Left adopts the issues of the poor and oppressed people-

Q: What is the value of what happened on February 11? Is it a pure and impeccable (of the political, religious and ideological influence) rejection 

What happened on february11 is an important turning point in the history of Yemen. Whatever is our evaluation of the results, February 11 remains an identifying mark. It caused a big difference in the life and consciousness of the Yemenis. The revolution has made a great accomplishment represented in ending the inheritance and perpetuation of the governor. However, it still has many tasks to achieve the modern, civic and democratic state that provides the Yemenis with justice, equality, freedom and a decent life. February 11 is a significant national project, though, the traditional powers of certain ideologies especially the radical ones are still a heavy burden on the pathway of the transition phase. These powers could empty this ambitious day of its revolutionary and enthusiastic spirit. However, the revolutionary forces are still resisting and rejecting the imposition of certain ideologies and the hegemony of traditional powers on the revolution. The present has not yet revealed when eventually situations will be good.

Q: How do you see the political phases of the Road Map?

One of the most important tools for emptying the revolution of its content or leading the revolution away from achieving its objectives is the "GCC initiative" which – unfortunately – was imposed by the internal and external political forces as a Road Map for Yemen.
For me, "the initiative" is the worst Road Map. I do not think that this map can lead Yemen to the desired progress as far as the traditional and radical powers are practicing their influence on directing the Yemeni pathway with a regional and international support based on their pragmatic and beneficial interests that have the priority over the issues of rights and freedoms, and democracy. They also support or condone the support of traditional powers at the expense of liberal, left and civil forces in general. The Initiative and the subsequent determinants of the political process lead to re-producing the traditional powers at the expense of the aspirations of our people for freedom and justice and civil rights.

Q: What do you think about the Security Council special meeting held in Sana'a?

It seems that the Security Council, particularly the influential countries, started to feel the danger of the failure of the political reconciliation process in Yemen. They realized the alarm of uncontrolled situations that could lead to the explosion of the situation in Yemen. Therefore, Security Council is trying to exert the maximum pressure and influence to avoid this peril fate and bad result and that may be more dangerous and disastrous.
In my estimation, if the Security Council exerts its pressure in the same direction, the implementation of the initiative with its defects, it will not make a real difference. At best, it works to delay the explosion of the situation. I advise them and the Yemeni political elites to focus on addressing the problems and reconsider the theme of the initiative instead of packing its faults and aftermaths by national and international reconciliation, however, they ultimately consolidate the same problems.

Q: Are there any anxieties about the political reconciliation?

Certainly; Otherwise why the Security Council will hold an extraordinary session in Sana'a?! Indicators of the failure of the political reconciliation grow every day, the factors of the blasting increase, uncontrollable situations multiply and the governmental failure becomes horrible. Therefore, it seems that Yemen needs a miracle to avoid dangerous and disastrous consequences.
for example, the idea of "the national dialogue" corroborated by the initiative as a director and solution of all the problems of Yemen, and in return they did not bother themselves to provide real conditions for its success; but the reconciliation itself contributed to create all the main reasons for the problems of Yemen.
The international and local sponsors of this reconciliation are seeking now for formal success to it, and for getting out of the bottleneck created by the reconciliation itself, which is the "national dialogue" that is loaded with more than its effort. They used the idea of "national dialogue" only to delay all the national controversial issues and causes of the explosion of the situations.

Q: What are the appropriate political transformations to ensure the creation and stability of the national dialogue and reconciliation?

There are many things, for example, stripping the conflicting forces of their power that make them able to blow up the situation, and rearranging the army and the security forces under a patriotic leadership. The state's initiative must focus on establishing an independent judiciary and elect a technocrat government based on qualification and integrity. They must also take into partnership all the national forces and the society in the national dialogue. They have to give priority to the standards, and not to rely on the principle of sharing power between the major political forces and parties. The state has to initiate addressing issues and establishing the dialogue. The harmony among all the transitional judicial procedures of the dialogue, the reconciliation and revealing the truth, reparation of damages, and other procedures relating to security and justice are also required.
However, I think the most important political procedure must be in defusing the bomb and displacing the former centers of power to prevent them of practicing their negative impact, and creating dialogue outputs according to their not national interests. By staying active, these forces represent the most prominent threat to the present and future of Yemen. No dialogue could be succeeded as long as these forces controlling the Yemeni political scene. It will only lead Yemen to clogging and political fragmentation that could not be fixed and confrontations and violent wars.
The situation in Yemen is fragile and at any time it would erupt into a confrontation might develop to get out of control. Yet, there is not a real action on the ground to deal with the reason that may cause the confrontation outbreak or the consequences that may lead to such a confrontation. There will be no security, no stability and no national reconciliation would be achieved in Yemen as long as the former powerful centers are existed and effective.

Are the centers of power changed in Yemen?

Yes, there is a change. For this reason, part of the system is changed; Even though the new voice in the power equation is subsided for the time being, but I believe that it is only "a phase of stillness," and this voice will come out again to make a leap that may make a radical change in the equation of the powers.
Traditional forces are still making a success in trying to reproduce themselves getting benefit of the political and financial support that flows from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Therefore, they try to influence upon the mass through money and through the new appointments produced by the pressures and requirements of the symbols of these forces and centers. There are other new centers of power have emerged, but it seems that they will not help in the development of Yemen, however, they will increase the situation complexity and the likelihood of the situation explosion.

Q: What are the new powers in the street today?

Conditions to find new powers in the street are still absent or non-performing. We are witnessing a labor to develop new powers but these forces are mostly taken aside and are sharply attracted by the traditional powers that have influence and money. These forces will not be able to be prominent unless the dominant traditional powers that are controlling the political, social and economic scene are becoming weak.
In the midst of the movement of the traditional powers within "its vicious circle", and from my experience, I think that the "independents" are the most prominent force in the street. Their current confusing and scattering will not be long too much, and the "independents" will return in the near future, if not very soon, to be the most prominent national force capable to formulate a coherent and influential national decision.

Q: Where are the young people in the process of the national dialogue as change makers?

Young people, in particular young independents- because of exclusion and lack of organization and due to the sharp attraction practiced on them by the traditional powers that have the money and influence- are prevented of the change of their own making.
In order to practice their role in making the change, the Youngs should not be excluded and should be enable to participate in the political decision-making. The backward looking forces that have money, army forces, and political influence on the economy and even the dialogue committee must be weaken.
The resignation of some Youngs, such as Majid Almzhadji and Radiah Al-Mutawakil, from the Dialogue Committee is a clear evident of the lack of space given to young people in the act and the political decision, as well as the inability of the traditional political forces in comprehending their views. This is a model of exclusion practiced against the Youngs especially the independent young people.

Q: There are people who believe that Yemen's political identity was not united. What is your opinion?

You allude to the theoretical debate on the historical subject of the unity of Yemen / secession of the south within certain elites. From my point of view, that is not the main topic, and whatever is the historical reference in this topic, it will not be able to solve the problems that led to the demand of separation and disengagement as a political requirement.
I think that the unity of Yemen must be read from the perspective of people's interests and aspirations, and not from any other perspective; and that the decision of unity or separation is related to the verification of these interests and aspirations more than the historical reference.

Q: What are the limitations of the dangers coming from abroad that threaten Yemen and what are their nature?

I think that the danger is coming from the neighbor is the most important and influential on Yemen and his revolution. The neighbor has the money that flows to the sheikhs and to the disloyal people. It exports the extremist thoughts, which invade our children and distorts the awareness of our Young. It expands and cuts hundreds and thousands of kilometers away from the honor of the nation and its territory. It violates the Yemen sovereignty and the political decision for more than half a century. It conspires against Yemeni Revolutions, September and October, and most recently the Youth Revolution. It insists on keeping Yemen its subordinate forever.

Q: In your opinion, How could dismantle the system of corruption?

The corrupted ruling system must radically be changed. The ruling system is corrupted to a great extent that it could not be restored or repaired as that corruption reaches the joints and bones.
Corruption in Yemen has become legal. Corruption in Yemen has had its institutions, which claim that they are fighting corruption. Corruption in Yemen has become institutionalized while the state organizations are not yet institutionalized. Corruption in Yemen needs an overwhelming revolution.

Q: Since you are a supporter of the left wing, Where does the left stand right now in Yemen, and where to go?

Regarding the first part of your question, I am a civilian. Perhaps this is the word I would like to be described with. I am a leftist when the left adopts the issues of the poor and the oppressed people. I am a leftist when injustice extends. I am a leftist when I see the left motivates to change and making brighter and developed future.
I am an independent. Like many independents, I still count a lot on the left of its different orientations, the Socialist and the national, and on its project, that has long bias for people and their hopes and pain.
Regarding the left in Yemen, it was subjected to big plots throughout its history by backward looking forces that harmed it a lot. In the youth revolution, the left revolt and the right seized the revolution. But the left still resists and bets on the future

Q:Why did the liberal trend fail in the Arab region? (Egypt, for example)

The police systems and the propaganda distorting the liberals, the backwardness of the curriculum, the repression, confining freedom of thought and continuing to produce Arab distorted consciousness, the lack of Liberal organization that will be able to compete in the social and political life as well as the racial positions of many liberal countries alongside Israel and preceding their interests at the expense of rights and freedoms, democracy and the interests of the other nations; all those reasons and factors in my estimation contributed to weakening and failing the Liberal stream ..

Q: Are you worried about the situation in Yemen?

All events taken place in the past proved that our concern is based on facts and many caveats that we revealed, and many politicians did not care about them, they have been already occurred and because of them, people paid the cost. Moreover, the caveats we bring today to the politicians are deliberately ignored and they are not taking them into consideration; the fact on which the Yemeni society will pay an expensive cost if it is not catastrophic at the expense of the present and the future of Yemen. I think that the politicians in power have to reconsider and take these caveats into consideration and translate it into reality.

From my point of view, displacing the traditional centers of power from decision-making, taking them aside from making the outputs of the national dialogue, and preventing them of controlling the political scene and .its orientations, I think in such away we will avoid the worst possibilities to the present and future of Yemen

منقول من صحيفة الوحدة