Deputy Secretary General Receives Regional Director of the NDI

Mr. Fadhl Al-Gaadi, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), met on Thursday in the capital, Aden, with a delegation from the National Democratic Institute, which is scheduled to resume its activities from its headquarters in the capital, Aden.

Mr. Al-Gaadi affirmed that the STC welcomes all efforts that contribute to developing the political process and consolidating the active participation of southerners, whether in the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) or other bodies emanating from the Riyadh consultations, including the Consultation and Reconciliation Committee of the PLC.

Mr. Al-Gaadi reiterated the importance of putting regulations in place that govern the work and determine the tasks of all bodies, including the PLC itself, and to avoid repeating the policy of excluding southerners, as the northerners have monopolized decision-making, which has resulted in aggravating the situation.

Al-Gaadi wonders about big countries' one-sided dealing with the PLC rather than as a single bloc, and the monopoly of power and decision-making in one party, which seems to negatively affect the success of the mission for which the PLC was established, stressing the need for clarity and transparency in all dimensions of the political process.

Al-Gaadi concluded that the presence of the STC within the PLC was a virtue of necessity to unify the ranks and fronts against the Houthi militia, despite the fundamental differences between its members, as the government's random work and failure to manage the service and economic files were shifting the situation from bad to worse, affirming that the southerners have a goal they have been struggling to achieve and will never accept as a bargaining chip, as no peace or stability is possible to be maintained without the two-state solution and a return to the situation before 1990.

In turn, Mr. Leslie Campbell affirmed the institute's interest in Yemeni affairs, and its supportive role in assisting political parties and civil society to boost a democratic system and rebuild state institutions, indicating that the meeting with the delegation of the STC comes to converge the views and provide support in line with the requirements of the political process.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Anis Al-Sharafi, the deputy director of the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs (GDFA), Dr. Khaled Ba-Madhaf, head of the Decision-Making Support Center (DMSC), Ms. Rasha Farid, Member of Planning in GDFA, and from the institute, Mr. Kenza Aqertit, Senior Director of the Institute in Yemen, and several senior staff at the Institute.