Sana'a — Political Parties in Yemen expressed different attitudes on the newly established Communication Committee set up by President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi on Sunday.

Al-Nasiri Party, which is a member of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) [Yemen’s traditional opposition coalition], declared its opposition to the forming of the Communication Committee because "there was no Nasiri member involved,” the local news website Al-Masdr online quoted the General Secretary of the party as saying.  

The General Secretary of the party added that Al-Nasiri party has the right to reject the presidential decree with regard to the Communication Committee formation.

 "The decree is not in harmony with the Gulf Initiative mechanism," the statement said.

A Southern Movement leader, Dr. Nasser Al-Khubji, in Lahj, south Yemen denied the Southern Movement’s approval of the Gulf Initiative power transfer deal and the Communication Committee.

"The Communication Committee is not to settle the southern issue. It is only to end the political dispute between the regime and opposition in Sana’a," said Al-Khubji in a telephone conversation with the Yemen Times.

He went on to state that, "If the national unity government wants to confer with us, they should know that the dialogue has to be between the south and the north and not just between political opponents."

The members of the Communication Committee consist mainly of the General Peoples Congress (GPC), former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s party, and members of the JMP opposition coalition -- mainly from the Islah Party and the Socialist Party. The committee also includes two independent members.

The Houthis in north Yemen who are in control of Sa’ada governorate and surrounding areas showed silent opposition toward the formation of the Communication Committee.

The Yemen Times contacted the Houthis' spokesperson, Saleh Habra, but he declined to comment.

The Communication Committee’s task is to accelerate the procedures of constituting the Preparatory Committee of the national dialogue conference not later than May 30, according to the Republican Decree issued by Hadi on Sunday.

A source on the committee who requested anonymity said that the committee has not yet decided on an action plan for their task.