In the below dialogue, Dr. Ahmed Attia- a member of the presidential council legal team- talks about several hubs related to Yemen current updates, the most important are rules draft that regulating the presidential council’s agendas, the relationship with the STC, Houthis, and other Yemeni parties.

 

Attia, born at 1974 in Bayhan- Shabwa, is a Yemeni political and judge that has a success print in the governmental works assigned to him. He started his work as a member in the National Dialogue Conference at the committee of constitution formulation, a minister of Awqaf Sept. 2016, a member at the national advisory commission, and recently among the legal team of the presidential council in addition to his status as a member of the Yemeni judge's club. 

 

The dialogue also touches the relationship of the Arabic Coalition countries with the Yemeni file, the Presidential Council’s priorities, and the future of events in Yemen through some questions asked by Almawqea Post to Dr. Attia that answered in the following dialogue:

 

The Dialogue Text:

 

*Dr. Ahmed, let’s start by your handing over to the head of presidential council “The rules draft that regulating the agendas of the leadership presidential council, the consultation and reconciliation commission, and the legal and the economic teams”, what is the general frame for the draft? what are the missions of the legal team, is that debatable or would be confirmed immediately?

 

**I think that the mission of the legal team is just the opposite of that reported in power transmission announcement, and would be translated into legal articles benefitting from similar councils, aiming at managing the agenda of the council and its related staffs, and their relationship with other executive authorities

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The power transmission announcement states the continuation of the legal team as a consulting body for the council in the issues related to the constitution and laws for introducing the legal opinion upon need. The draft will be presented to the council, took a cycle of discussion and modifications, and what they agreed upon we would form a committee to formulate the constitution, which would be transmitted afterward by the president to the parliament to confirm it in its final formula.

 

*Is the legal team going to replace its similar committees in missions such as the human rights or the parliament committees in taking their responsibilities, introducing advices and opinions in the legislative and the constitutional subjects?

 

 **No, they are not going to do that. We are going to introduce legal opinions to the council upon need, and we are not going to replace any.

 

*A controversy was and still around the designation of the new attorney general on the process of filling the state Public function, especially important posts, the criteria of choosing the characters on a regional basis. What are the justifications of such a controversy? Are there any criteria for the council in the designation process?

 

**The designations are according to republican decisions as an exclusive right to the president of the council, in consultation with the council, and there is a perfect harmony between the president and other members in all decisions. We trust the president, his wisdom in absorbing differences, and the members’ attention on that.

 

*By formation of the presidential council, merging the forces, designation of a new attorney general, some see that the rights of the victims during the last periods are going to be lost. How could the victims be compensated, preventing the loss of people rights?

 

**The coming stage is promising, and all what is ongoing now is the preparation to build a coherent state that takes the responsibilities of people properly. Therefore, if what you said is right, then the state is putting among its priorities is considering all the grievances happened at the non-government time. 

 

*There are many parties and military formations at Yemen, and there are efforts to unify them. In your opinion, how can the merging process be successful, among the different loyalties, leaders, and geographies?

 

**This is the mission of the formed army committee by the president of the council, the high leader of the armed forces, Dr. Rashad Alalimi. This committee is formed of leaders and experts, and i think that all the parties are keen in building the state institutions that with out them, the country would go towards further loss.

 

*About two months passed since the formation of the presidential council, while some see that it goes slowly towards making a real change. Are there any reasons behind such a thing?

 

**We cannot judge on them fast. If we could hand over the legal documents that formulating the council’s agenda just before days, how can we demand them to be in such high pace? The time is really hard, while there are big economic and army challenges that need a time to settle.

 

*Is the council going to be able to take the country from such a current condition, or should the contrast among its leaders going to impede the achievement of the real transformation in Yemen?

 

**I think such a contrast you mention has been melted as part of the one responsibility inside one presidential council, in its mission of taking the country out of such a situation. The unification of hardworking in one frame, I mean the substantial contrast, and as for the formal differences, they are natural at a democratic country.

 

*Do you think that the relationship with the Arabic Coalition towards Yemen got changed after the formation of the presidential council? means, does the council represent a correction for the relationship different than used to be formerly?

 

**The relationship was and will be the same with our brothers in KSA and UAE as steady in the history roots. There are many links between us, the faith, neighbourhood, and joint destiny, and will not find who are keen to our interest more than our Gulf partners. What happened by changing the state’s head was a pure Yemeni choice, that made by the president Hadi, transmitting power smoothly that never happened in other countries. The relationship with the Coalition countries was and are going to be in its high strength with the new council.

 

*As a member of the legal team of the council, how could you describe the way of offsetting Hadi from the general Yemeni landscape?

 

**It wasn’t an offset in the intended meaning, what happened was power transmission in an honoured way according to the constitution that insures for the president transmitting his responsibilities as full or some of.

 

*Through your existence in Aden, your approach from the presidential council, do you think that the STC would accept to among the recognized government, giving up its logo of separation and splitting, or the current arrangements may pave the way in front of it towards separation?

 

**The STC is a basic and effective part in succeeding the presidential council, and his leaders insist to roll back the Houthis along with the Arabic Coalition and all the national powers, having a central role in succeeding the Riyadh Consultation.

 

*There is an insistence that the southern case is still the same. In your opinion, what are the solutions should be done to finalist this case, especially after becoming a peg for faults that some exploit?

 

**The southern case is fair and should not be denied or ignored. If it’s the, it wouldn’t be put among the national dialogue conference, in the committee of constitution formulation, in Riyadh Agreement, in the presidential council, and the presidency pays a huge attention to it. It’s a duty for all in south and north to directing arrows on the biggest enemy of Yemen, the Houthis Irani project.

 

You was a member of the national dialogue conference, worked in the committee of constitution formulation, do you see that the conference outcomes are still valid to be worked on and applied? or the condition got changed in yemen, and that document is not needed now, but requires a new one that cope up with the current updates?

 

**The national dialogue conference’s outcomes are one of the three solution references in Yemen, but will not be applied till releasing Yemen from the coup. 

 

*There is a growing speech that offences the religion, disdain most of its concepts and religious values. What are the justifications behind this speech at the current time, and how should be dealt with?

 

**There is a dangerous systematic work targeting the people’s faith, distributing the atheism phenomenon among the educated circles. We are muslim people and it’s necessary to protect the society from such destroying thoughts. By the absence of the legal accountability on the publishing devices among the spread of social media, such abnormal sounds emerge m, which become eroding from their within and unfold by days.

 

 

*Who may be blamed of the current war and its disastrous consequences? Houthis group or the recognised government?

 

**No doubt, the Houthis militia that started war, turned against the state, invade the cities, and working to control on the country by weapons.

 

*Houthis wreaking corruption on the Ministry of Awqaf, turned it as an income source and harassed on people. As a former Awqaf minister, what’s your perspective and vision to what the Houthis group doing with Awqaf?

 

**What do you expect from a militia that uses all power instruments in favour of its Imami project. It doesn’t hesitate to eat people’s money and that of God in order to increase its wealth. The group has isolated the ministry, delivering to a person of the Houthis family, because most the areas of Sana’a, Amran, and Thamar are owned to the Awqaf. I’ve issued many decisions, while was the minister of Awqaf, all texting that such Houthis actions are invalid, warned of any possessing, selling or owing for the state’s properties, as rights never fail by time or by the power of weapons. 

 

*The war with Houthis continues since years among peace calls with them. would pease be benefited with the Houthis after all repercussions?

 

**Today, the ball is in the Houthis field. I don’t think they are going to accept peace but by their terms. They didn’t think about the country’s interest after all that destruction. Despite of that, the recognised government is with any peace calls, as it stands beside the people that suffered much from wars. The government as it stands beside its people, it prepares itself to any choice including war in order to achieve the peace. Who wants the Yemeni bleeding but war traders that refuse even to open crossings of the prisoned Taiz at their jail, and also what’s doing in Marib, destroying everything, and in other Yemeni areas. 

 

*Finally, is there any word to say that wasn’t included in this dialogue’s questions?

 

**We must stand beside the Republic that represents for us freedom and dignity, eliminates the slavery and the divine right claims. We must be a one row backing the presidential council, a help for its president, to get the country out of such a hard condition, and that isn’t precious for God.

 

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