Yemeni political parties form alliance to support legitimate government

The National Alliance of Yemeni Political Forces (NAYPF), which comprises 16 of the largest active political parties in the country, recently announced its support for the restoration of the state from the Iran-backed Houthis (Ansarallah).

The establishment of the NAYPF was announced April 14th at the headquarters of the Yemeni parliament, which convened for the first time in four years in the city of Seyoun on April 13th.

Deputy Parliament Speaker Abdul Aziz Jabari announced the formation of the entity, adding that it is led by the General People’s Congress (GPC) party, the Yemeni Congregation for Reform party (al-Islah), the Yemeni Socialist party, the Nasserite party, the Southern Movement (al-Hirak) and others.

The National Alliance chose a GPC leader, Rashad al-Alimi, to be its president, Jabari said.

The alliance also announced the approval of all documents, including its founding charter, executive programme and bylaws, which were derived from the visions of its members.

Officials and political analysts say the establishment of the NAYPF is very important for unifying the political parties’ positions behind the legitimate government, restoring the state and implementing the outputs of the National Dialogue Conference.

Political force to support the state

The establishment of the NAYPF is a "historic and pivotal event in the Yemeni political process, through the concurrence of many of the major active and influential political parties on the Yemeni political scene", Minister of Endowments and Guidance Dr. Ahmed Attiyah told Al-Mashareq.

"This cohesion gives us power, as we are now facing a new political situation as a result of the changes that transpired in Yemen, and Yemenis have one enemy, namely the Iranian-backed Houthi militias," he said.

Therefore, leaving previous partisan differences behind, moving away from scandals and uniting the voices to fight the Houthis "has become a popular demand, even within the parties themselves, as many voices have risen to demand this alliance", he said.

The alliance’s "responsibilities include restoring the state, establishing peace, putting an end to the coup, restoring the peaceful political process, implementing the outputs of the National Dialogue [Conference] and building a federal state", he said.

"The National Alliance will be the political force that will help the legitimate state defeat the [Houthis], build the new Yemen, restore the effectiveness of state institutions, and put a stop to the economic, security and social deterioration in the country," he said.

Integration with parliament

Deputy Minister for Human Rights Nabil Abdul-Hafeez also stressed the alliance's great importance and timeliness.

The NAYPF's importance lies in the fact that it "complements the collection of partisan political forces supporting the legitimate government, which confirms that everyone stands behind [it] against this Houthi coup", he told Al-Mashareq.

"The announcement of the alliance at the convening of parliament is very indicative of the integration between the people’s representatives in parliament and the representatives of the political forces," he said.

"It came very late, but we say better late than never," he said.

"The new alliance will give impetus to political life, achieve progress and provide motivation to executive constitutional institutions, particularly the army, to restore the state," he said.

Alternative to the Joint Meeting Parties

The alliance is a declaration of a union of Yemeni political forces, including the largest party in Yemen, the GPC, said political activist Ahmad al-Amari.

"This alliance will be an alternative to the Joint Meeting Parties, which was the opposition to GPC in the past, and thus represents a unified position both internally and externally behind the legitimacy to restore the state," he told Al-Mashareq.

The alliance must work in accordance with the rules and regulations stipulated in its founding charter and not serve as an umbrella for political quotas and the division of spoils, he said.