Barran Press
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, Mabkhoot Bin Aboud Al-Sharif, head of the Yemeni Reform Party branch in Marib, stated that "the road to the capital Sana'a goes through reconciliation and forgetting the past." His remarks came in a post on the social media platform X, addressing the political and media reactions to his party's conciliatory steps toward the General People's Congress (GPC) and the family of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In light of mixed reactions—both supportive and oppositional—Al-Sharif reflected on the reconciliation between the Reform Party and the Yemeni Socialist Party following the events of the 1994 war, during which the Reform Party faced what he described as a "fierce campaign" against it.
He noted, "I will not delve into the details of the praises and criticisms exchanged between the two parties regarding the rapprochement of these significant forces in Yemen. However, I must say that if political, military, media, and tribal forces remain entrenched in rivalry and conflict, the capital Sana'a will remain out of reach, and we will continue to fail."
Al-Sharif emphasized, "We have an army of 400,000 fighters and an equal number of popular resistance forces. For ten years, we have held the lines of defense without moving to attack." He added, "When the Reform Party and the GPC were divided, the Houthis entered Sana'a. If the GPC and the Reform Party reconcile, along with other forces, they can expel the Houthis from Sana'a. Let's adjust our compass."
Recently, the Reform Party has taken steps toward reconciliation with the GPC, marking a notable shift. For the first time, a delegation led by Acting Secretary-General of the Reform Party, Abdul Razzaq Al-Hajari, participated in the commemoration of the seventh anniversary of the December 2 uprising, initiated by Saleh, which ultimately led to his death at the hands of the Houthis.