STC Acting President Holds Joint Meeting with SNDT, Representatives of Political Components, Civil Society, Unions, and Elites of Intellectuals, Academics, and Media Professionals

Mr. Ali Abdullah al-Kathiri, Acting President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Chairman of the National Assembly, held on Sunday a joint meeting that brought together members of the Southern National Dialogue Team (SNDT), representatives of Southern political components and parties, civil society organizations, labor unions, cultural and academic elites, youth and women sectors, along with various media outlets and journalists across the capital, Aden, and governorates of the South.

At the beginning of the meeting, which included Dr. Saleh Mohsen al-Haj, Director of the STC's Foreign and Expatriates Affairs Authority (FEAA); Mr. Abdulsalam Qassem Musa'ed, head of the SNDT; and several senior STC officials, Mr. Al Kathiri conveyed the greetings of President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi to the attendees, highlighting his interest in fostering such engagements that strengthen the national cohesiveness of the South and advance dialogue among various components and forces, thereby enhancing national partnership and Southern alignment.

Mr. al-Kathiri explained that the meeting came to discuss escalating political shifts in the landscape of the South and mounting public challenges, issues, and crises suffered by citizens at a phase that requires cohesiveness of the South to find urgent solutions and remedies to stabilize the deteriorating public situation, calling for addressing these issues from multifaceted angles while coalescing around a single national stance.

al-Kathiri further noted that the collapse of public services and the dire economic conditions prove incompetence, negligence, and failure under successive governments that reflect the systematic and deliberate targeting of the capital, Aden, and the broader South, and are a result of the absence of oversight, evaluation, and accountability, as well as the poor performance of government institutions toward citizens.

al-Kathiri emphasized the importance of preserving the hard-won gains and not allowing the enemies of the South to exploit widespread public anger over economic collapse and failing services to undermine security and stability, affirmed the STC's support for the right to peaceful protest that expresses rejection of the deteriorating services and poor living conditions, and completely rejected any attempts to divert the protests from their goals or exploit them politically against the aspirations of the people of the South and their leadership.

At the end of his remarks, al-Kathiri reiterated the STC's call for cohesiveness of the South within the framework of a true partnership that accommodates all, emanating from the absolute belief that the South will only be for all, with all, and by all its people. He urged joint action to achieve the people's aspirations and their goals and commended the support provided by the Arab Coalition, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to our people in confronting the challenges they face.

al-Kathiri and the STC senior officials listened to numerous remarks, observations, and interventions where participants transparently and openly voiced the concerns and aspirations of the residents of the capital, Aden, and the rest of the governorates of the South. They also presented suggestions and ideas to address the current situation and ongoing challenges, paving the way for their submission to the STC's leadership and the government to improve public services and alleviate the suffering of citizens in the capital, Aden, and across the South.