Interview with Dr. Kassim Sallam Chairman of the Higher Council for the Democratic National Coalition Parties (DNCP) and General Secretary of National Arabic Ba’th Party
Interview with Dr. Kassim Sallam Chairman of the Higher Council for the Democratic National Coalition Parties (DNCP) and General Secretary of National Arabic Ba’th Party
By Zaid al-Alya and Mohammed al-Giri
Photographs by Hamid al-Sanabani
Yemen is undergoing a crisis since the beginning of this year between the JMP and other opposition forces with external support, and the government and the Democratic National Coalition Parties (DNCP) forces on the other side. The Yemeni youth affected by the events in some countries have rushed to the squares and the opposition parties had taken advantage of their protests to step up the political situation against the authorities. Some officials also made advantage and joined the opposition.
Yemen Observer (YO) interviewed Dr. Kassim Sallam (Dr. Sallam) over the Yemeni crisis.
YO: What is the situation of the Yemeni crisis and what are the prospects if the Gulf initiative fails?
Dr. Sallam: I seize the opportunity to greet you, and it is clear that the Yemeni crisis came to a deadlock since February 23, 2009 because of the reluctance of the JMP who used to strike a deal with the ruling General People’s Congress Party (GPC) only to violate it on the next day, so as to start introducing fresh demands. The Yemeni crisis since then became a question of credibility. Unlike the GPC, the JMP hadn’t dealt with the February agreement as an integral deal and kept on revolving around the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER). Many committees were formed and I asked them in one of the meetings in Yasin Saeed Noman’s house however they want the SCER or the comprehensive political, economic, social and cultural reform? They said that they want the latter. I advised them to change their methods because time is running out. We agreed to meet and contact the external opposition later on for presenting a dialogue program but again they refused dialogue clinging this time to what is called a four-member committee, which consists of the VP, the Dr. Abdul-Karim al-Iriani, Abdulwahab al-Anisi and Yasin Saeed Noman. I advised them not to insist on this committee so that it would not be understood by the people to be an alternative as a Presidential Council headed by President Saleh. It will also be a means for evading the 200 and 313 members’ committees as well as evading the scheduled April elections.
In one of the meetings a person I decline to mention his name said that we are holding dialogue with each other proposing that we should hold dialogue with al-Qaeda. I told him that he should persuade al-Qaeda first to accept the rule of peaceful, democratic dialogue, abandon violence and accept to disarm. On the next day we were surprised with the JMP statement which was in fact the statement of the Consultative Meeting. Their situation is confusing (the JMP and the Consultative meeting,) in terms of who is leading who. The consultative Meeting is the Party of the Sheiks (tribal leaders) led by Hamid al-Ahmar. We agreed to hold dialogue with all but they refused.
YO: Why did they refuse the meeting this time?
Dr. Sallam: Because they were devising a Viet Cong coup style that starts from the "change square". It is a war that used to be waged by Vietnamese groups in the rural areas and end up in street fighting. When their plan failed they spread into the residential areas raising the slogan of kill or be killed. Their unsuccessful plan was to make a military coup through the defecting Armored Brigade by a quick strike. When this also failed they tried a tribal coup calling the Yemeni tribes to march on to the presidential palace for a popular coup. But that also failed. Resorting to the street fight is a dangerous game in a country that is armed to the teeth, and in addition to the constitutional legitimacy of President Saleh who came through the ballot box in 2006. They allege that these elections were rigged. This is a false allegation because the elections were sponsored by the EU, the USA’s White House, Pentagon and intelligence. They all said that the elections were transparent and democratic.
In the presidential elections we supported President Saleh’s agenda because we found that it meets 85 percent of our political program. The JMP program, which was adopted by Faisal Bin Shamlan was even rejected by late Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar who had supported President Saleh’s program.
YO: What do you think, is the JMP still existing or is it dominated by the Islah Party who controls everything now?
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