Will Yemen’s slow transfer of power save Hadi presidency?

Despite the solid political settlements Yemen has achieved so far, all political parties could do to remember that time is running out. The country's national dialogue should have been launched a long time ago. Political conflicts and debates will only lead to more obstacles, delaying that overdue dialogue. Plus, the thorny details which inevitably surround national issues may require an extension on top of that, way beyond the stated six-month period. Let’s assume the national dialogue conference starts in March next year, that all the arrangements are carried out exactly as planned, that the conference finalises all of the issues within the set time. Let’s assume the constitution drafting committee is formed three months after the conference, with preparations made for a popular referendum. All these preparations could take a whole year - and that’s providing everything passes by smoothly, without a single obstacle. On top of that, reforming the electoral system and preparing electoral rolls basically makes it impossible to hold presidential elections in February, resulting in the end of President Hadi’s legitimacy. The country will witness a political vacuum. Politicians have stopped creating obstacles for President Hadi because they know that ultimately the end of his leadership is in sight. Parties need to start peacefully addressing disagreements over particular issues and no party should should try and manoeuvre itself into becoming the nation’s single party – just like what happened with the national reconciliation and transitional justice laws proposed by President Hadi. Yemen really doesn’t need another conflict during this vital moment in its history. So I’m left wondering why political parties haven’t introduced their lists of representatives for national dialogue yet, despite the fact Hadi asked them to do so before December last year. It is impossible to dominate the lives of future generations, and the older political elements should remember that. Yemenis have experienced this before, following reunification almost half a century ago, paying the cost for each and every conflict. The new Yemen will not allow these old forces to re-emerge with the same old mentality, same tools and same destructive plans. The current bet is on the Yemeni President’s ability to push forward to change the country and complete what he started – namely, the foundation of a strong national military free of ideological and tribal loyalties. Hadi is relying on his legitimacy because it is the only thing that will avoid bloody political conflicts in the future, as well as the ultimate success of political transition in Yemen. --- The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.