South24 Center

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A webinar, attended by Yemeni and foreign experts, proposed making structural changes to the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) as a result of its failure to achieve the tasks assigned to it since its formation in April 2022.

The panel discussion, organized by ‘South24 Center for News and Studies‘ and the ’Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies‘ on February 3, was titled “Reforming the Yemeni PLC: Pathways for Effective Governance”.

The webinar was attended by:

● Fernando Carvajal: Executive Director of the American Center for South Yemen Studies.

● Abdulghani Al-Iryani: Senior Researcher of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies.

● Ala Mohsen: Researcher at’South24 Center for News and Studies.

● Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen: Senior Researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies.

It was held via “Zoom”. Farida Ahmed, Executive Director, South24 Center for News and Studies, moderated the discussion which lasted for 90 minutes.

The Failure of the PLC

Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen said that “there is a consensus that the PLC has failed. Therefore, the reform of the PLC is something urgent, along with structural changes within it”. She added: “This failure has made the Yemeni state dysfunctional, hindering the interests of the people as well. I think the reform can start by addressing the mistakes that happened with its formation.”

Despite recognizing the importance of power sharing or collective partnership among all factions due to the war and the requirements of the current stage, the researcher stressed on the “need to reform this formula in a way that will help decision making, not hinder it”.

She believes that the circumstances related to the PLC’s formation have created problems accompanying it, as the council was based on a regional desire in which, ironically,“the Yemeni presence was just symbolic although the council was supposed to be the outcome of Yemeni-Yemeni consultations”. 

The researcher stressed the need for a reference agreed upon by all parties during discussions and dialogue in order to formulate and apply any reforms within the PLC. She referred to the failure of the legal committee affiliated with the PLC to adopt regulations governing the work of the council and its supporting bodies.

Priority Contradictions

Ala Mohsen proposed reducing the size of the PLC to resolve the decision-making problem within the council.

“The council of eight has failed as this large number hinders smooth decision-making and management. They have conflicting powers. They aren’t at the same level regarding power balance and presence on the ground,” he added.

According to Mohsen, the priorities in the areas of South Yemen are related to development work, boosting services and the economy. On the other hand, the priorities in the North are supposed to include war, liberation, and fighting the Houthis. He pointed to the failure of the PLC to adopt and arrange these priorities properly.

Mohsen indicated that this contradiction constitutes an essential problem of the PLC as it doesn't reflect the political facts on the ground — represented in 99% liberated areas in the South while at least 80% of the North are occupied by the Houthis. 

He explained that “the quota system plays into the political parties, but it doesn't ever serve the interests of people”. 

Made in Saudi Arabia

For his part, Abdulghani Al-Iryani's assessment of the PLC is based on the fact that it was made in Saudi Arabia without any real Yemeni participation. He added: “The PLC was born dead. If there is a will to bring it back into life, there is a need first to understand its function and goal.” 

According to him, the PLC obstructs the work of the Yemeni government by interfering with its executive powers stipulated in the Yemeni constitution. To fix the problem, Al-Iryani proposed the need for a clear identification of the tasks and functions of the PLC, which is a problem of approach rather than persons. 

He called for “redrafting the PLC's institutional law”. After completing these arrangements and regulations, talking about changing persons will be possible, according to him.

International Vision

Fernando Carvajal said: "There is an urgent need for reforming the PLC which was created as a reform of a system that was unable to reform (the Hadi regime). However, the same thing applies to it today.”

He added: "From an international perspective, the PLC is a failed attempt to reform the system in Yemen. The basic questions are related to the respective functions of each member of the council.”

He noted that “the primary purpose of the PLC is bringing all factions together to create a unified front against the Houthis, but it has utterly failed. The PLC has failed to gather any international military and political support to pressure the Houthis against their dangerous actions, including arresting employees affiliated with the UN and non-governmental organizations in Sanaa”.

The American expert pointed to the decline of the international and UN support to Yemen which highlights the weakness of the PLC itself.

Carvajal warned against the approach adopted by the Western embassies in Yemen of empowering each PLC Member unilaterally. According to him, this may lead to a situation like what happened in 2011 in Yemen when the US Embassy supported the Islah Party to seize power from the hands of the General People's Congress.

Successful Reforms

Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen proposed that along with the reforms in the PLC, a prime minister selected by consensus should appoint technocrat cabinet ministers based on efficiency and avoid the quota system.

She added: “We need in-depth reforms within the government. Transparent discussions about this should continue.”

Al-Iryani stressed the need for the engagement of local communities and councils in decision-making and running the country as well as avoiding centralization that has failed in three states in Yemen for over six decades. He explained: “This is what we realized in the National Dialogue Conference in 2013. However, even the decentralization that was agreed upon at that time is no longer sufficient.”

Ala Mohsen stressed the need for “realpolitik” in the process of reforming the PLC and the government through selecting members who have powers, tools, and the ability to carry out plans and agendas. This would serve as a supreme executive body whose typical form would be like a “mini-presidential council”, he said.

Carvajal concluded that as long as the PLC is preoccupied with its internal conflicts, it won’t formulate real reforms or take proactive steps regarding the economy or the war against the Houthis.