The Nasserite Unionist Party (NUP) is the only political party in the Republic of Yemen that has repeatedly achieved a peaceful transfer of power. Through rank and file elections consummated in a general convention, the party has achieved what others have failed to do - hold elections with no pre-determined results.
Of course, other political parties hold elections, but the controlling person/group in the party always directs the results. The top people exercise control over the process. But not in the NUP.

The NUP General Convention was held during the 18-21 April, 1999. It was a slaughterhouse, reminiscent of Western party conventions. No body had control over the outcome ad the big boys of the party went through a lot of agonizing moments. The results were also startling. New comers represent over 40% of the Central Committee, and there are new people at the top echelons.

 

Yemen Times sources are seeing more ominous clouds on the horizon for the Yemeni economy. Following the near-total collapse of the middle class (small/medium enterprises & businesses), there are now signs of serious cracks in the big business families of Yemen.
According to the final accounts of the Hayel Saeed Group of Companies (HSA), the Yemeni part of the business has suffered enormous losses in 1998. The Group's Yemeni business reported major losses in the Yemen operations, though the overall performance of the group - including international interests - was profitable. "We cannot continue in this way. It is not good for us, and it is not good for the country," explained a leading member of the group. As a result, the Group is expected to lay off nearly 1,500 employees over the next few weeks. The HSA employs roughly 10,000 persons, mostly in their Taiz factories.

Another family business group, the Thabet Brothers, saw their Yemeni profits cut in half, falling to almost negligible levels. Here again, return on the group's foreign investments has been high, thus more than making up for the loss in the Yemeni operations. The logical conclusion from such developments is that Yemeni investors may find it more profitable to invest abroad, rather than in their own country. According to an international expert, "The authorities should take decisive measures in support of local investments. That is not happening at this time."

Local industrial and service activities suffer from pervasive smuggling, as well as from unfair competition, nepotism and favoritism leading to the rise of a new upper class connected to the power structure. "Unless these elements are checked, there is no reason for us to invest in this country," said one key investor.

 

Nasser is fine. He is recuperating well in Paris, where he was shipped out for better medical treatment.
Unfortunately, the fate of some 1.7 million Yemenis who are infected by malaria is quite different than the fate of the son of the Vice President of the Republic of Yemen, Mr. Abdo Rabbo Mansoor Hadi. Some 20,000 Yemenis die from this disease every year. Most of the victims are of a young and tender age, though there are many adults who also pass away.
Today, the Republic of Yemen is infested by the disease of malaria, as the disease strikes in many parts of the nation. In spite of impressive efforts by the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah Abdul Wali Nasher, and an able team of assistants, the rampage of the malaria parasite continues uncontrolled.

"It is just an uphill battle. Remember the total governmental allocation for the health sector is only US$ 3.6 per person. And a good part of that is lost to the bureaucracy, inefficiency, and of course, corruption. That is why I look for foreign sources of funding for our projects, including the malaria campaign," he said.
Indeed, international support has been quite forthcoming, although slowly. The Yemeni government has begun to allocate more funds, but the uphill battle continues.