US embassy cable - 03SANAA263

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 000263 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, KDEM, KISL, YM, DEMOCRATIC REFORM, DOMESTIC POLITICS 
SUBJECT: ROYG INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH A CODE OF CONDUCT TO 
AVOID VIOLENCE IN THE RUN-UP TO THE APRIL ELECTIONS 
 
Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Chief Catherine J. Westley.  Reason: 1.5 
 (b,d) 
 
 1.  (C)  Summary:  President Saleh this week proposed an 
initiative between the political parties to establish a Code 
of Conduct to ensure peaceful and fair elections.  In a 
controversial move, Saleh appointed Sheikh Zindani, leader of 
the extremist wing of the Islah party, to the multi-party 
committee that would oversee implementation of the Code.  If 
effective, the Code of Conduct could help alleviate possible 
campaign violence.  However, the reaction of the Islah party 
to Zindani's appointment as sole Islah representative could 
presage further discord among the parties.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U)  President Saleh and Vice President Abdo Rabo Manssor 
met with the heads of political parties on February 2 to 
discuss a number of issues related to President Saleh's call 
to establish a national Code of Conduct to achieve a "high 
democratic ranking" and protect democracy from violence in 
the run-up to the April parliamentary elections.  According 
to al-Thawra, the official ROYG daily, the basic principles 
of the "national ranking document" which came from President 
Saleh's letter to the political parties were as follows: 
 
-- commitment to "national continuities," foremost the 
constitution and laws; 
 
-- maintenance of the democratic trend and embodying the 
principle of peaceful transfer of power; 
 
-- adherence to the rules and ethics of peaceful democratic 
practices and avoiding all forms of violence; 
 
-- keenness for making the unity, independence and 
sovereignty of the homeland the common denominator between 
the government and the opposition. 
 
3,  (U)  The political parties have publicly expressed 
appreciation for the initiative.  The meeting approved the 
formation of a committee.  The independent newspaper al-Ayyam 
on February 3 reported that the committee is headed by 
Presidential Advisor Dr. Abdel Karim al-Iryani and includes 
GPC Political Director Dr. Mohamed Qubati, Islah Shura 
Council Chairman Sheikh Zindani, YSP Assistant Secretary 
General Dr. Saif Sael, Nasserite Unionist Party Secretary 
General Abdul-Malik al-Makhlafy and Deputy Speaker of 
Parliament and Arab Baath Party Secretary General Dr. 
Abdul-Wahab Mahmoud. 
 
4.  (C)  The selection of Sheikh Zindani as representative of 
the Islah party has generated controversy, as he is the 
well-known leader of the more extremist Salafi wing of Islah. 
 According to Islah party contacts as reported by NDI, the 
Islah party did not want Zindani as its representative and 
had asked for its Assistant Secretary General Abdul-Wahab 
al-Ansi to be its representative.  President Saleh insisted 
on Zindani's participation, and according to contacts chose 
the entire committee personally.  Dr. Iryani told the 
Ambassador February 4 that Zindani had been reluctant to be 
part of the committee, but had earlier approached the 
President about how to avoid violence in the election 
campaign so Saleh insisted.  Moderate Islah party contacts 
believe that Zindani's appointment is a power move by Saleh 
to either 1)  create a split between the moderate and 
extremist wings of Islah to hurt its chances in the election, 
2)  highlight the party's more extreme elements to discredit 
the party in regards to the public and the West and United 
States or 3)  create problems between the opposition parties 
that are part of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) by his 
presence, causing a split that weakens the opposition. 
 
5.  (C)  This Code of Conduct (Arabic:  "mithaq al-sharaf," 
also translated as Code or Compact of Honor) has preempted 
ongoing efforts by international organizations, particularly 
IFES, to establish a written Code of Conduct for the 
elections to prevent violence and promote free and fair 
campaigns.  In November after weeks of negotiations between 
the parties and IFES, an agreement to sign a Code of Conduct 
fell apart after the Islah party pulled out.  The Islah party 
was responding to a new implementing regulation issued by the 
Supreme Committee on Elections and Referenda (SCER) in early 
November that allowed the military to register to vote in 
places other than the location of their barracks.  Because of 
Islah party belief in and fear of military influence in the 
elections in favor of the ruling GPC, Islah pulled out of the 
Code signing in protest.  Dr. Iryani has a copy of this draft 
Code of Conduct for use in the new committee. 
 
6.  (C)  Comment:  President Saleh's initiative to form a 
national committee to establish a Code of Conduct to 
alleviate violence is a welcome one, particularly if formal 
mechanisms for dispute resolution are also established. 
However, the appointment of Zindani is at best problematic. 
His presence could make committee consensus harder to 
achieve, and could even provide a pretext for heavy-handed 
tactics by the ROYG to ensure its victory in the April 
elections.  End Summary. 
MISENHEIMER