3.3. Socio-Economic Security Challenges
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Security Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula CHAPTER III INTERNAL SECURITY CHALLENGES IN YEMEN 3.1. INTRODUCTION Historical background of Yemen shows that the present security and development challenges have been mainly influenced by two factors: the geographic condition of Yemen and its vague political past. Roots of present development and security challenges are discernible in early past. Socio- economic transformation still continues in Yemen. However democratic societal values are gradually rooting in the Yemeni society. Yemeni society is looking a culturally united society, but, it is composed by many socio-religious clans and elite families. This diversity is responsible to create threats to internal security and peace. However, the main challenges to security are because of political parties, educational and economic backwardness in Yemen. Thus, this chapter is devoted to explain major internal security challenges and its effect on national security in Yemen. Yemen is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 153rd in the Human Development Index.1 It is facing severe economic problems in contemporary times. Yemen is one of the poorest nations in the Arab region. The country’s most pressing development problems (poverty, food security, water scarcity and population growth) compete for government attention with internal tensions. A recent report on poverty assessment in Yemen said poverty rate dropped from 40 per cent in 1998 to 35 per cent in 2006. Titled 'Yemen Poverty Assessment', the report was prepared by the government of Yemen, World Bank, and UN Development Program (UNDP). This report was based on 82 Security Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula a household budget survey conducted from April 2005 to March 2006.2 However, the decline in poverty is not a remarkable phenomenon because; there are many hurdles in the process of sustainable development. There is no politically and democratically enlightened society, which can think freely to solve the problem of national development and security and cooperate with the government. Beside this, Government is struggling to give safety to people from various security threats like violence, armed conflicts, terrorism and poor law and order. 3.2. NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES 3.2.1. POLITICAL TURMOIL Following unification in May 1990, Yemen has evolved as a democratic state based on a multiparty parliamentary system, elected directly by the citizens. The executive branch comprises the President and the Council of Ministers (government). The President is elected by direct popular vote and the Presidential term of office has recently been extended from five to seven years. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President upon the advice of the Prime Minister. The legislative branch is composed of the Shura Council (upper house) and the House of Representatives (lower house). The 111 members of the Shura are appointed by the president. The 301 deputies of the House of Representatives are elected by direct popular vote every six years. By regional standards, democracy is reasonably well-developed in Yemen. However, progress towards a full democracy has been slow in recent years, as the elections have mainly resulted in the strengthening of the government’s power. The ruling General People’s Congress (GPC) has also consolidated its position through decisions extending the prerogatives of the executive branch and limiting the powers of the House of Representatives, for example by extending the legislative powers of the Shura 83 Security Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula Council, appointed by the President. The opposition, and increasingly the ruling party’s parliamentary bloc as well, provide a degree of political competition, but the main opposition party, the Islamic Congregation for Reform (Islah), has not seriously challenged government policy. 3 A range of complex interlinked processes and institutions determine patterns of development in Yemen. While many aspects are challenging, there are also positive trends and reform minded elements. The incentive structures throughout government are not clearly aligned with development needs, since accountability does not create sufficient pressure to deliver. Influential groups consist of overlapping elements of the political leadership, the armed forces, tribal sheikhs, and some top officials, with linkages to the private sector.4 The three multi-party elections for parliament in 1993, 1997 and 2003, and the Presidential elections of 1999, were judged to be sufficiently free and fair by international observers, despite some flaws. The last elections in 2003 saw an extended competition with 22 parties participating, and a good participation of voters (turnout was 76.5 per cent). Nonetheless, the result was a further consolidation of the ruling party’s power: the GPC won a large majority, gaining 58 per cent of the votes and 76 per cent of the seats; Islah got 22 per cent of the votes and 45 seats, and the Yemen Socialist Party 5 per cent of the votes and 7 seats. The elections lacked uniformity in procedures and transparency. The representation of women was reduced to just one Member of Parliament, demonstrating extremely serious obstacles to women’s political participation and representation. Opposition parties suffered from limited access to the media, due to the Government’s control of Television and radio, crucial in a country where 50 per cent of the population is not literate. The next parliamentary elections were expected in 2009, (postponed till further order), while Presidential elections took place in September 2006, in conjunction with local council elections. 5 84 Security Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula There is the phenomenon that the popularity of some parties is based on personality, family, or tribe. Personal connections and patronage assume greater importance than the programmes and policies. Lack of intra-party democracy leads to the party being treated as it is a private asset. The party activities and the political agenda, if at all, are centered on the personality of the leader.” 6 Due to many reasons political turmoil is a fact in Yemen. Various religious clans, slow pace of rooting democratic values in society, politics of elite families and tribal leaders, low economic development and more importantly foreign interferences are responsible factors that bring instability to government. Providing security to people becomes tough when government is unstable. 3.2.2. VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM It can be said that violence and terrorism have become international phenomena in all under developing, and the developed countries. There are certain deep rooted factors that help in the development and the continuation of these phenomena. Almost all societies suffer the outcomes of violence and terrorism, and the burden of their effects on the society. There is no country on this planet that has not experienced some form of violence or the other. We find that there is a general agreement that the phenomenon of violence and terrorism has certain political, social and economic motives and reasons. The major reason for such violence is that the ruling systems, whether in the form of groups or organizations or parties or tribal groups, are looking to further certain personal interests by initiating acts of terror and violence such as hijacking planes, holding hostages, and indulging in explosions and political conspiracies that makes the security unstable. There are various types of violence and 85 Security Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula terrorism depending on their motives, which are usually economic, political or religious.7 The economic factor plays a major role in the spread of violence because it gains the interest of the majority of the public. It is more strongly supported especially by those who are trivialized by the society. On the other hand, the political factor influences the security and the stability of the country through acts of violence and terror practiced by the governing systems of some great countries that adopt various forms and sources of terrorism to achieve certain economic and political interests.8 Violence and Terrorism in Yemen Since the first revolution of 1962, Yemen has encountered many serious problems with regards to its security and stability. For about four decades, the country has suffered greatly from cruel events in which a lot of blood was shed in both parts of Yemen, both before and after unity. Most of these acts of violence were because of the conflicts for the leadership. Due to this violence, many people were killed irrespective of whether they were soldiers or innocent citizens. The feeling of revenge and vengeance has, thus, increased among people, especially in the southern parts of the country.9 Even after the unity of the two parts of Yemen, violence did not stop but instead increased and developed into organized terrorism. This was because of the new conflict between the ruling authorities and the other political parties and organizations for the leadership of the country. This led to cruel and aggressive military confrontation between the socialist party and the Moatamar party in 1994. It was believed that this war would put an end to the violence and acts of terrorism in the country. Unfortunately, this phenomenon continued and took on 86 Security Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula new forms and more developed techniques and some foreign hands were got involved in it. In the following section, we will try to discuss the different stages of