Ahmed bin Farid al-Suraimah, a prominent southern leader announced in a statement directed to the press on Saturday that he was permanently withdrawing from the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) as he felt representatives are not "tackling the rights of southerners to self-determination."
When al-Suraimah agreed to return to Yemen from Oman where he has been residing over the past decade he did so, under the express condition that all talks conducted under the banner of the NDC would provision for the possibility of secession among other solutions brought to solve the southern issue. Al-Suraimah often explained that while he was willing to consider other avenues and ponder over suggestions of federalism and semi-autonomy, the coalition government should in turn look at secession with an open mind.
"The current dialogue is aimed only at reproducing a system similar to the one that exists now," noted al-Suraimah to justify his departure from the NDC.
Al-Suraimah was so far presided over the NDC committee responsible for finding a solution to former South Yemen calls for independence.
While al-Suraimah stressed his decision was not reflective of his faction' stance on the NDC, analysts have predicted his departure would only reinforce Haraki leaders move toward political radicalization.
After months of pour-parler and negotiations, President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi' s efforts to rally southern leaders around the negotiating table are unraveling fast, just as radical figures such as former South Yemen former President Ali Salem al-Baidh are insisting only secession will quench southerners' thirst for freedom, democracy and social justice.
Source: http://www.yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=100&SubID=6846&MainCat=3
