Aden (South24)

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) has announced its rejection of the ’National Bloc of Political Parties and Factions‘, a coalition of 22 political parties and factions, which was formed in the capital Aden under the auspices of the US-based National Democratic Institute.

The STC in an official statement on November 5 said: "We followed the outcomes of what was called the National Bloc of Political Parties and Factions [..] which was announced with the participation of several factions and political figures supporting the so-called Federal Yemen Project."

The STC confirmed that it will not participate in this coalition, explaining that its position is based on the ’Southern National Pact‘, which seeks to achieve the goals and aspirations of the people of the South, represented in restoring the Southern state.

However, the STC stressed its readiness for dialogue and support for any joint efforts to confront the threats posed by the Houthi militia.

The statement added that the STC refuses to be bound by any results or outcomes issued by blocs or of consultations to which it is not a party or did not agree.

The STC stressed on the need to adhere to the Riyadh Agreement of 2019 and the final statement of the Gulf consultations, and the need to maintain the cohesion of the existing political partnership, represented by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and the parity government between the South and the North.

In a post on X, the head of the STC political commission, Nasser Al-Khobaji, said that the bloc has no goal other than targeting the South Issue.

Al-Khobaji warned that "the bloc of parties makes the STC's partnership within the government and the PLC unsustainable." 

He added: "Continuing on this path will lead to the fall of the government, the PLC and the supporting bodies".

Yesterday, the Islah spokesman Adnan Al-Odainy said on X: “The consensus witnessed in the city of Aden is a step in the right direction (..). It is at the very least a major key to the long-sought solution.”

Yesterday (November 5), Yemeni parties led by the Muslim Brotherhood announced the formation of the National Bloc of Political Parties and Factions in Aden following meetings that lasted from November 3 -5 under the auspices of the National Democratic Institute and the United States Agency for International Development.

The dismissed Yemeni Prime Minister and Chairman of the Shura Council, Ahmed bin Dagher, was named head of the new bloc, after 22 political parties signed on the document, led by the Islamic Islah Party and the General People's Congress Party.

Besides the STC, other Southern factions have also boycotted this bloc, including the Inclusive Hadramout Conference, the South Arabian League Party, and the Preparatory Committee for the Comprehensive Shabwa Conference.

Welcoming the formation of the bloc, US Ambassador Steven Fagin said: “Today marks a pivotal moment in Yemen's political history.”

“These 22 entities have shown to all, and most importantly to the Yemeni people, that there is hope for a peaceful and prosperous Yemen, driven by Yemenis for Yemenis," he added.