Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Houthi Movement official spokesman Ali Al-Bakhiti affirmed that the Shi’ite Zaidi group will adhere to the agreed outcomes of the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference, saying that this was the only way for Yemen to extricate itself from the political and security crises that have engulfed it.
Bakhiti confirmed that the Houthi Movement, called Ansar Allah by its members, supported the proposal to establish a Yemeni federal state divided into a northern and southern territory, but described the proposal to split Yemen into more territories as unrealistic. Bakhiti also spoke about the Houthi Movement’s relationship with other Yemeni parties, the Houthi conflict currently taking place in Dammaj in Saada Province, and the movement’s relationship with Iran.
The Houthis are a Shi’ite Zaidi group led by Sheikh Abdel-Malik Al-Houthi. The movement is currently involved in a prolonged conflict with Salafist forces over the town of Dammaj—a Salafist stronghold in the midst of the Houthi-dominated Saada province.
Asharq Al-Awsat: What’s your evaluation of the Yemeni National Dialogue?
Ali Al-Bakhiti: Theoretically, the results are good, and the outcome so far has been acceptable and will benefit the majority of Yemeni society. However, the real test of the National Dialogue’s outcome will come in the form of implementation: will the results of the National Dialogue be implemented? Will the traditional centers of power accept the implementation of these results, or not?
Q: Do the Houthis accept the final results of the National Dialogue?
Any results must first be agreed upon. We are one of the parties that must agree on any outcomes from the National Dialogue. These will be binding on us and we will commit to them. The National Dialogue is the only way out for Yemen of the current crises and wars which it has fallen prey to in recent decades.
Q: Do you have any reservations about the prospective outcomes of the National Dialogue?
We have no reservations whatsoever about the agreed outcomes of the National Dialogue, as these must first be agreed on by us.
Q: Regarding the division of Yemen, do you support or reject this?
We support the implementation of a clear vision regarding the issue of regions, and our representative at the 8+8 subcommittee has affirmed that we support the proposal submitted by the Yemeni Socialist Party, which suggests two regions in Yemen. We believe that this vision is the most suitable for the political status quo in Yemen, while it is also more economically realistic, particularly as the other options are impractical and difficult to fund. These options aim to fragment the South by dividing it into two regions, while dividing the North into four regions, even though the North has never been concerned with the issue of regions.
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