Sana’a: Yemen president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government have repeatedly urged Yemenis to back the plan to split the country into a six-region federation since it would bring much-needed stability and prosperity to the troubled nation.
“The nature of Yemen’s federal system will be based on a mini-government [in each region] closely overseeing developmental, educational, health, and security services. Each region consists of four convergent and homogeneous provinces,” said Hadi, quoted on the official news agency Saba.
In his recent meeting with foreign envoys, Hadi outlined some advantages of federalism: “it will turn the page of the past for good and will open a new page in the current history in order to keep abreast with all forms of modernity. This will end sectarianism and combat corruption based on equal participation in power and responsibility and wealth.”
Major political forces like the party of the former president, the General People’s Congress, the Islamist Islah party, leaders of anti-regime protests and some members of the separatist Southern Movement have embraced Yemen’s new system of governance.
The former president’s party initially slammed the decision saying that it would lead to the fragmentation of Yemen and bring it back to pre-unity era, when North and South Yemen were separate states. The Islah party favoured the division as long as it was not on the lines of North and South, as the southern separatists had demanded. The party feared that such a division would lead to secession of the south.
Ordinary people also wrangle over the new form of state. Abdullah Bin Abdat, a bus driver, was happy about the new division as it would give his oil rich province, Hadramaout more autonomy.
“I support regions system since it will enable us to manage ourselves.” But his sceptical friend interrupted him, saying: “Do you think that the guys [northerners] would allow you to manage the oil sector? You are dreaming.”
On the eve of the 3rd anniversary of the youth-led revolution that unseated Yemen’s long-serving president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a panel of 22 members approved a plan to turn the Yemen into a federal state of six regions; four in the north and two in the south. The northern regions are Janal, Saba, Tehama and Azal. The southern regions are Hadramout and Aden.
The current political and economical capitals of the country, Sana’a and Aden, are not included in the division, with Sana’a to remain the capital of the new federal state.
The panel said that the division was based on the region’s ability to make economical stability and the geographical, social, cultural and historical connections between the provinces of each region. Some regions were named after ancient Yemeni kingdoms, like Hadramout and Saba.
The panel said it took the decision of the six-region federalism after seeking advice from veteran economists, administrators and sociologists.
The decision carried many general principles that would regulate the capital’s relationship within the regions. These principles include fair and equal distribution of wealth and power between the region’s provinces. The region’s borders are based on the current borders of the provinces and both the federal and regional authorities have the right to review borders between provinces and regions after one or more electoral cycle.
