Lamlas: “Not Necessary for all Southern Components to be Part of the Council. What is Necessary is To Unify Their Visions and Goals”
Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, secretary general of the southern transitional council asserted that the council’s presidency formed dialogue commissions to line up the south. He added that it is not necessary for all southern components to be part of the council but what is necessary is to unify their visions and goals.
In a special interview with “ERAM News”, an Emirati news site, Lamlas said: “A commission was formed for political parties and organizations, second one was formed for governorates, syndicates and NGOs, a third commission was formed for dialogue with southern figures in authority while the fourth commission was for Sultanates, tribal leaders and southern prominent figures”. He added: “Commissions started work with a discussion forum coordinated by Aden Center for Studies to talk to 30 southern figures representing NGOs, youth and feminist leaders. The meeting introduced a working paper that will be enforced soon. In addition, another meeting was held with Yemeni Socialist Party as the first party to be met”.
Lamlas indicated: “These commissions have a weekly schedule for meetings with all components and these meeting will be very clear and transparent. On Tuesday, the commission of southern figures in authority prepared mechanisms of work and as president Al-Zubaidi said, those he didn’t come to us we will go to them”. he added: “Most parties and social figures welcome these meetings as the goals is not necessarily to adjoin these components into the council but for agreeing on a common goal”.
Concerning sectors to be part of this dialogue Lamlas said: “We will talk to three sectors. The first represents those agree with us on the goal of restoring the state with minor differences like not considering their opinions while forming the council. The second represents those who agree with us on the goal with differences on how to achieve it. There is no problem to sit and talk to this sector to agree on principles. The third sector represents those who disagree with us but we should meet them to talk so as not to widen the gap in the national front, maintain southern unity and avoid conflicts”.
He added: “We are eager for a modern civilian state according to law and order. Visions and projects for the upcoming stage may compete and only the people can choose the suitable one. Any group mat rule for four years according to elections, we should believe that this stage is a peaceful political struggle not a military conflict. This is a new concept we should deal with”.
Concerning October 14th escalation, Lamlas said: “We avoided armed conflict when we saw Muslim Brotherhood try to urge southern/southern conflict. We avoided this clash to save the southern unity. Everyone should understand that we stood down for our sons and to respects other components who mobilized”.
Lamlas also commented on dismissing prime minister Ahmed Ben Daghar and filing him to interrogation saying: “Changing prime minister while maintaining the rest of the government will not affect greatly as it is just a maneuver that doesn’t fulfill the people’s expectations. The whole system should be changed so that citizens can feel serious responses to their demands”. He added: “We still hope for the Arab Coalition especially Saudi Arabia and UAE to exert more pressure on the legitimacy to wake up”.
Concerning the council’s participation in a micro-government Lamlas said: “We can never participate in the government as the council is with the southern people in demanding self-administration to southern governorates under an honest service administration of the government, away from corruption and harassments that negatively affected citizens”.
