Aden (South24)

---

Yesterday, the office of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi released a statement regarding previous press statements on South Issue, which sparked wide reactions and caused a political crisis with the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The statement said that Al-Alimi's statements to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper "interpreted some of its contents in a context that does not express his position on South Issue."

"The interpretation of the statements does not agree with what was confirmed by the references of the transitional period, including the announcement of the transfer of power and the Riyadh agreement and consultations, in terms of guarantees for a just solution to this national issue," the statement added. 

The statement stressed "the centrality of South Issue and the need to represent it in the negotiations to stop the war and the comprehensive peace process, as stipulated in the results of the Riyadh Agreement consultations."

"Emphasizing the firmness of the consensus in the PLC as a comprehensive national carrier to complete the administration of the transitional period and achieve the goals of declaring the transfer of power," the statement elaborated. 

The statement pointed out that "South Issue has achieved an advanced position (...) due to the sacrifices of the Southern components and their adherence to preventing the confiscation of the legitimate aspirations of our people in South and their right to determine their political status."

The statement called for the unification of efforts against the Houthis. Al-Alimi said in his controversial interview that he misses returning to Sanaa, which is subject to the Iranian-backed Houthis.

On Monday, the Southern Resistance Council had warned of Rashad Al-Alimi's return to the capital city Aden after his statements that brought the PLC into a critical stage.

Al-Alimi said in his previous statements to "Asharq Al-Awsat": We believe in the justice of South Issue, but talking about it now or its solution may not be appropriate. There are regional guarantees for resolving South Issue."

He added, "Dealing with South Issue must be within the framework of the solutions of the political system, the content of the state, and the form of the future political system."

In an official statement, the STC considered Al-Alimi's statements "inaccurate and prejudicial to partnership and consensus under the GCC-sponsored Riyadh Consultations."

Related: Rashad Al-Alimi's Statements Disturb Yemen's PLC

Yesterday, the STC Presidency called for the formation of a special negotiating delegation to represent South Issue, after what it described as "procrastination" in forming the joint negotiating delegation with the PLC parties.

Al-Alimi had agreed, in his office's latest statement, to form a negotiating delegation with the participation of political components, foremost the STC. So far, this delegation has not come to light.

The statements sparked wide Southern reactions from politicians, journalists and activists.