Yemen Monitor/ Sanaa/ Exclusive:
On Thursday, the General People’s Congress (GPC) party in Sanaa voted to remove Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh from his position as the party’s vice president in a controversial meeting held under Houthi conditions.
According to a statement from the party’s General Committee in Sanaa, the committee “listened to a report from the Organizational Oversight Body and, in light of the report, the General Committee unanimously approved the expulsion of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh from the position of Vice President of the General People’s Congress.”
However, a party official with knowledge of the meeting’s details denied that the decision was unanimous. The official spoke to “Yemen Monitor” on the condition of anonymity for fear of Houthi retaliation, that freezing the party’s operations (in Houthi-controlled areas) was on the table due to the Houthis’ countless and systematically escalating conditions and orders, and their violations.
The official added that the Houthis forced the GPC leadership in Sanaa to meet and carry out their orders under the threat of arrest or prosecution, including the seizure of their property and funds.
The GPC leadership submitted to the Houthis’ demands, which is the second time in recent weeks they have done so, after the party leadership agreed to suspend celebrations for the party’s founding anniversary.
An official said that “the statement is humiliating and servile, and it indicates that the party has become nothing more than a tool of extortion against its leadership. The proposal by party leader Sadeq Ameen Abu Ras to freeze the party was an ideal option for everyone.”
Other party leaders, such as Sheikh Hussein Hazeb and Hamoud Obbad, refused to freeze the party and preferred to expel Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh instead.
Houthi officials claim that Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh is using the GPC’s base “to ignite an internal war, including with Yemeni tribes loyal to the Saleh family and the GPC party.”
In July, the Houthi group’s military judiciary in Sanaa had approved the execution sentence against Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh. Earlier this week, Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh launched a sharp attack on the Houthi group.
