While Holding Expanded Meeting…President Al-Zubaidi: Serious Efforts Needed to Achieve Genuine Reform in Lahj Governorate

SMA NEWS – LAHJ
President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Vice Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), paid a visit on Friday evening to Lahj governorate and held an expanded meeting with local authority officials, military commanders, security officers, local leadership executive bodies (LLEBs) of the STC, and social personalities in the governorate.

At the beginning of the meeting, President Al-Zubaidi expressed his happiness at visiting Lahj Governorate and engaging with this diverse elite of administrative, military, and security leaders, as well as social personalities from various segments of society, referring to the fact that Lahj has always been, and will definitely remain, a beacon of unrelenting struggle and ultimate sacrifice made by its people throughout various national milestones.

The President continued his remarks, stating, “When we speak of Lahj, we speak of the initial spark of the youth’s first uprising, the immense sacrifices made by its loyal men, and heroes like Jawas, Abu Al-Yamamah, Omar Saeed Al-Subaihi, and other martyrs who sacrificed their precious lives for the sake of the homeland.”

President Al-Zubaidi highlighted the rich historical and cultural heritage of Lahj, dating back to its governance system in the 1960s and 1970s, the Abdali Sultanate, to its present-day role, which places it before a great responsibility to restore its position, affirming that “Lahj has never faltered in fulfilling its national duty, and today it represents the essence of the cause of the people of the South and one of its steadfast pillars.”

Speaking about the current situation in the governorate, President Al-Zubaidi acknowledged that Lahj, despite its significant contributions, continues to suffer from deterioration of public services, stressing the urgent need to reform the local authority governance system and activate oversight mechanisms to address security and administrative imbalances.

The President added, “The humanitarian situation necessitates serious action and genuine reforms across various sectors. Therefore, we have dispatched the STC’s contact teams, and today, our in-person presence here marks a new step within our commitment towards the people of Lahj.'”

President Al-Zubaidi also directed the relevant ministers to prioritize Lahj governorate in fields such as transportation, agriculture, social affairs, civil service, electricity, and youth development.

In his remarks on political developments, President Al-Zubaidi reaffirmed that the cause of the people of the South has positively achieved significant progress on both regional and international levels, noting that the STC is working intensively to advance the South’s presence in international forums.

The president also reiterated his praise of the United States’ decision to redesignate the Houthi militias as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), emphasizing that the downfall of these militias is now only a matter of time. His Excellency continued by stating, “The coming phase will be challenging, but we are on the cusp of major transformations, and we must seize this moment to advance our national cause.”

President Al-Zubaidi emphasized the strategic importance of Lahj Governorate as the strategic depth of the capital, Aden, and its vital geographic location connected to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, stating, “International conspiracies are thwarted at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Lahj possesses a formidable human resource capable of safeguarding this strategic passage.”

President Al-Zubaidi concluded his remarks by paying tribute to the families of the blessed martyrs and all the heroes who have been ultimately sacrificing on the fields of honor, reaffirming that the STC will definitely remain steadfastly committed to supporting the people of Lahj to achieve political and administrative empowerment and secure a better future for the governorate and its people.

The president and his accompanying ministers then listened to a range of issues, needs, and challenges facing the people of Lahj Governorate in various sectors, in addition to proposed solutions to overcome them, promising to take appropriate measures to resolve these issues and provide the needs as per the available resources, in coordination with the relevant authorities in the government.