Saudi GazetteTHE most important achievements of Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime in Yemen were his success in unifying the north and south of the country in 1990 and winning the war between the north and south in 1994. Apart from those achievements, Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime can only be remembered for being a tyrannical dictatorship. Its tyranny, which is rejected by the majority of Yemenis, has caused many catastrophes for Yemen, one of the most important countries in the Muslim world. Yemen remains among the world's poorest countries because the government did not focus on development and instead concentrated on pleasing and appeasing foreign powers. If the government had used Yemeni resources well, the country could have been self-sufficient today and would not need economic aid. Political problems were exacerbated over the years and the security situation deteriorated, especially in remote areas which became a haven for outlaws and terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda. The remote areas provided a favorable environment for those who opposed foreign intervention that harmed not only Yemen but also the whole Arab region, especially the Gulf. Saleh's achievement of unifying the nation has been eroded to the extent that it might yet result in the secession of the south or fragment the country into small states at war with each other. The call by the south to secede and form an independent nation as it had been before has increased over the past decades. Some groups do not call for the establishment of an independent country but rather for federalism. Whatever their objective may be, the secessionist movements have axes to grind. One of these grievances is that Saleh's regime has seized land in the south and harmed the interests of a large number of southerners. But, although the south has legitimate grievances, their call for secession is not justified, considering that Saleh's regime has also been unjust to the north and other regions in Yemen. The secessionist movements have had a major negative impact on Yemen and the entire Arab region. Different voices threaten Saleh's regime, which is using violence to suppress the current people's uprising. It is in the interest of the regime and those concerned with Yemen's stability that Saleh should step down. At this important juncture of the country's history, the regime must stop the brutal suppression of people who want to see the dawn of a new Yemen. A transitory council that would represent the different major sectors of the country should be set up immediately, with the support of the Yemeni army. A caretaker body should run the affairs of the country until a new constitution is drawn up and elections are held. This is in keeping with the Gulf initiative, which has the support of the international community. The Gulf initiative could be a guide to taking the first step toward a new Yemen whose people dream of peace and prosperity. (Sadaka Y. Fadhel is a Member of the Shoura Council and Professor of Political Science) __
