Who could be in the transitional council? (Part 2)

By: Ali Saeed , for Yemen Times

Published:30-06-2011

SANA « A, June 30 — Yemeni pro-democracy protesters are still demanding the establishment of a transitional council after President Saleh left for Saudi Arabia almost a month ago to receive treatment for injuries sustained in an attack on the presidential palace. According to the constitution, Vice President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi is obliged to take over power when the president is unable perform his duties, however this has not occurred. Power still seems to lie in the hands of Saleh » s sons and nephews who occupy top military and security positions.

« In last Thursday » s issue, the Yemen Times presented some high profile figures who could possibly figure in a future transitional council. In this edition we present more national figures who may also play a role in this critical period of Yemens history.


Ahmed Saif Hashed

Hashed is a unique Yemeni figure who combines several personalities. He is a judge, a human rights activist, a parliamentarian, a military figure and an active member of civil society organizations. He was born in 1962, in the Al-Qabita district of Lahj governorate.

He is currently an independent member of the parliament and a member of the Human Rights and Public Freedoms Committee. He also chairs his own organization called the Change Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms.

« In 1983 he attained a Diploma in Military Sciences from the Military College in Aden. Between 1998 and 2003, he worked as the head of the Primary Court in Lahj. He obtained a Higher Studies Diploma on International Policy from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Sana » a in 1992, then graduated from the High Judiciary Institute in Sanaa in 1996.

« Following the presidential elections in 2006, he was elected as Chairman of the Independent Parliamentarians for Change, who contributed in paving the way for Yemen » s 2011 popular uprisings against the ruling regime. In Jan. 2011, Hashed was one of the leading members who led the anti-regime protests demanding an end to Salehs 33-year rule.

In 2004 he was the victim of an assassination attempt in which his driver was killed. It has been suggested that the attack was organized in response to his human rights activism including the publishing of a report on the condition of prisoners in detention facilities in Yemen.

« In Oct. 2006, he was detained at the Political Security Prison after protesting with civil society organizations in front of the Political Security Headquarters in Sana » a. The protest was demanding the release of human rights activist, Ali Al-Dailami, executive officer of the Yemeni Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms who had been kidnapped from Sanaa International Airport.

Members of the ruling GPC party have more than once demanded that his parliamentary immunity be revoked for his criticism of the state and the performance of the parliament. He has described the parliament as “merely décor for the ruler to defend corruption and support the dictatorship.”

« Hashed has been an active and leading element in many popular activities, protests and demonstrations that condemn human rights violations and calling for respect of the law and the countrys constitution.


Abdu Al-Wahab Ahmed Al-Ansi

» Al-Ansi was born in Hajja in 1944. He was first educated in Shahara city in Hajja before moving to Sana « a in 1959. He got bachelors degree in law in Damascus, and then a Diploma in Public Administration from the Public Administration Institute in Cairo.

Al-Ansi is a businessman who has occupied several influential positions inside the Islah Party, in the government of Arab Republic of Yemen prior to unification, and also in the national unity government after unification.

» He started his own bookshop in 1960 in Sana « a and also worked as a broadcaster and director at Sanaa Public Radio.

In 1963, he was appointed as General Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Information in the Arab Republic of Yemen (North Yemen).

In 1990, he participated in establishing the Islah Party and was appointed as its Secretary General until 1994, then as Assistant Secretary General from 1994 until 2007. He was elected again as Secretary General of the party in 2007 until the present.

» Following Yemen « s unification in 1990, he became a member of parliament representing the Islah Party. In 1993, he was appointed as Vice Prime Minister in the national unity government which was formed from the General Peoples Congress (GPC), the Islah Party and Yemeni Socialist Party.

» In 2009, he was one of the four-member dialog committee between the ruling GPC party and the opposition coalition known as the Joint Meeting Parties. He with other opposition leaders played significant role in uncovering Salehs maneuvering to the international community after Saleh declined three times to sign the GCC brokered power transition deal.

Hameed Al-Ahmar

A tribal leader and opposition figure since his father Abdullah Al-Ahmar, former speaker of the parliament and influential leader of Hashed tribal confederation, passed away at the end of 2007.

« He was born in Sana » a in 1967, the third son of Abdullah Al-Ahmar. He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Commerce at the University of Sanaa.

Hameed is a politician and a businessman who owns several banking and telecommunication companies.

« He is a member of the parliament for the Islah party and runs his own preparatory committee for national dialogue. He created this committee in 2009 to tackle issues regarding the grievances of southerners and the impact of six-rounds of war in Saada between the Houthi rebels and the state.

Hameed was seen as a big obstacle for Saleh to bequeath power to his son, Ahmed, who heads the republican guard and special forces. State-owned media has waged several media campaigns to paint Al-Ahmar as a man longing for power, and as trying to instigate a coup and chaos in Yemen.

» Hameed has good relations with the Saudi regimes family who previously also had good ties with his father. Abdullah Al-Ahmar has been accused of using his family as a shadow government for his tribal influence in Yemen which entitles him to tackle many political and social issues at the nation level.


Sheikh Mohammad Ali Abu Lohoom


An unknown figure to many people, but Lohoom is expected to contribute towards forming a new Yemen because of his skills and qualifications. Largely sidelined and unrecognized by the ruling GPC party, he revolted against the regime and announced his resignation from the GPC and lent his support to the anti-regime revolution in March of this year.

« He was born in 1960 and studied Economics and Administration at Washington University in the US. Here he learned the value of logical dialog over force and violence. At the beginning of Yemen » s upheavals in 2011, he proposed an initiative to end the political crisis between Salehs regime and the official opposition, but Saleh declined his initiative.

Despite his inheritance of tribalism from his father, it seems that he prefers civil life and the establishing of the rule of law with genuine independent institutions over tribal traditions and norms.


Former President of South Yemen, Ali Naser Mohammad

« Ali Naser Mohammad, former president of the Peoples » Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) is expected to play a crucial role in the next period of Yemens history. He is known to have a strong charismatic character, high culture and is a respected politician among both local and external parties.

He was born in Duthaina of Abyan governorate in 1939. In 1968, he was appointed as a member of the general leadership of the national front in the south. He also occupied key posts in the government of South Yemen including Minister of Education, Minister of Local Governance and Minister of Defense.

In 1971, he became Prime Minister of the government of South Yemen and a member on the presidential board. In 1978, he overthrew Salem Rabee Ali to take over the rule of South Yemen until 1986, when a civil war in the south ousted him and he was exiled abroad.

He currently lives in Damascus, the capital of Syria, and runs the Arab Strategic Studies Center there.

When the Yemeni youth took to streets in early 2011 demanding the departure of Saleh and his 33-year regime, Nasser was one of the Yemenis living overseas who supported the uprisings, calling on the youth to struggle peacefully until their objectives were achieved.

Source link:

http://yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=36272