Abdulaziz al-Hayajim Almotamar.net - SANAA-Leaderships and cadres of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah) party are demonstrating great attention to electoral propaganda festivals for the “independent Islah” candidate Fathi al-Azab more than the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) candidate Faisal Bin Shamlan.

Sources close to the Islah said the leaders of the biggest party in the Yemeni opposition JMP alliance consider the presidential candidate Bin Shamlan as agreed upon by the JMP, including the Islah, and as representing a certain stage and it is similar to temporary marriage dictated by challenges of confrontation with the ruling party and response to European and American requests to the necessity of existence of presidential candidate representing the major opposition parties.
The sources also indicated that unlike the independent candidate Ahmed al-Majeedi whose decision was individual and there was a decision by the Yemen Socialist Party (YSP) to freeze his membership of the party, pre3senting the Islah leading member Fathi al-Azab as independent candidate for the presidential elections was not taken randomly. The action came after studies and reasons having no relationship with results of these presidential elections of which al-Azab does not question any result he will score and the Islah does not put wager on success of the JMP candidate. The sources added the Islah considers the presidential competition, the propaganda campaigns and electoral festivals impartially reported by official media, as an opportunity for presenting an Islahi personality with the aim of giving him a charismatic characteristics rendering him prepared to lead the Islah march in the coming period in addition to the possibility of qualifying him the following presidential election scheduled for the year 2013. They hinted that all circumstances have become mature for getting rid of the old guard inside the Islah but the presidential elections have postponed the process for a few months. The same sources made it clear that the post of chairman of the higher body of the Islah has become rather vacant due to sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar’s old age and illness that made him along the two past years stay abroad, specifically in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia which he prefers for treatment and rest because of his historical relationships with its leadership. The Islahis consider with fear what will result from absence of sheikh al-Ahmar whose stature, the volume of his tribal influence and regional relations represented an umbrella and strong support for the Islah and Muslim Brotherhood for over four decades. Though the powerful leaders inside the Islah do not object the question of bequeathing this post if that would serve the Islah and preserve the balance between ideological, tribal and commercial currents inside the Islah, but they rule out that one of his sons can fill the vacuum the sheikh will leave behind. Analysts believe that the Islah will lose a great historical leadership that also represents spiritual and reference leadership for the Muslim Brotherhood, i.e. sheikh Abdulmajid al-Zandani who since the events of 11 September in the US he is classified as one of the religious leaderships that have relationship with al-Qaeda and its leader Bin Laden. Consequently, big and liberal leaderships in the Islah have resorted intentionally to reduce al-Zandani’s position and to remove him gradually as he has become not a trump card for an Islamic party seeking to present itself abroad and to the United States of America as an open and moderate Islamic trend. As the absence of al-Ahmar would make the Islah lose a large sector of supporters and bases, the absence of al-Zandani will mean loss of another important sector of devout youth that is more hostile to the west and partisan and political philosophies.
As for the party’s secretary general Mohammed al-Yadoumi and the assistant secretary general Abdulwhab al-A’nisi, their tenure has become rather concluded in accordance with the Islah constituent system. By the declaration of Islah establishment on 13 September 1990, al-A’nisi was chosen as secretary general and al-Yadoumi as assistant secretary general. The Islah rules of procedure stipulated that the higher leaderships have the right to continue for three terms, four years each. Al-Yadoumi was chosen secretary general and al-A’nisi as assistant secretary general during the first conference of the Islah in 1994. The changes were renewed in the second and third general conferences in 1998 and 2002. Consequently, the absence or removal of the Islah old guard cannot be replaced by any of its cadres and that will not minimize the volume of that loss or avoid the collapse of the party. The only exception is related to the shadow leadership of Sheikh Yassin Abdulaziz, deputy chairman of the higher body of Islah and described as the general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen. The said sources also say the peaceful and easy transfer of power inside the Islah will not be easy and there are differences and groupings that may come to the surface after the presidential elections. The sources believe that sheikh Yassin \Abdulaziz and the conservative current inside the Islah are behind presenting the presidential candidate al-Azab and to qualify him for the coming period leadership. But that support for al-Azab does not receive blessing of al-Yadoumi and al-A’nisi and others having different agenda and arrangements favoring the party’s head of political office Mohammed Qahtan.
That means that the greater challenge for Islah is not just the loss in the presidential elections and maybe local councils elections but also, as the biggest of the opposition parties, is waiting for the worst scenario in its march and history.