The transitional period in Yemen is difficult and facing many obstacles. It has a lot of challenges, demands and requirements. Most importantly, confronting al-Qaeda, restructuring the army and securing comprehensive national dialogue.

 That would lay the foundations for the democratic political framework, to take Yemen to a new scene and a new Yemen, achieving the legitimate demands of the peaceful protesters, that were indeed popular comprehensive demands. Yemen, therefore, would build its economy on development and objective bases in order to create opportunities, achieve dignity life, reduce poverty and need, achieve equality, rule of law, independence of judiciary, and to fight corruption, all within a real democratic approach.          

It seems that the manoeuvring accompanied the GCC Initiative since its beginning is still a path being pursued by former president and those close to him. Therefore, the attempt of the president to make changes in some leading positions in the army, touching some of former president’s relatives, was faced with a kind of mutiny and disobedience, and these changes were not implemented at that time immediately, but too late, after external pressures.  

This first attempt proved that there are influential forces, represented in the former president and some of his relatives and supporters, who will not make it easy for the new president to achieve the requirements of the GCC Initiative and face the difficult challenges, including the fight against al-Qaeda, restructuring the army and holding the national comprehensive dialogue. The UN resolution, to impose sanctions against those hindering the transitional process, was issued, to be a strong support for the new president to face cause problems.  


The presence of former president in Yemen is, in itself, an obstacle; he is the Head of the General People’s Congress (GPC), while the new President is party deputy. This means that the former president can perform a political action and put pressure, even on the new President. There might have been some pressures put on the former president to leave Yemen for two years, the period of the transitional period, in order to give the chance for the new President to freely carry out his duties, achieving the requirements of the GCC Initiative, and to firmly control everything in the transitional period, restructure the army and hold the National Dialogue.   

The presence of former president in Yemen, and his presidency of the GPC, which is a key participant in the political framework under the GCC Initiative, means that he plays an effective political role, and probably pressuring the new President, who is his deputy within the same party. 
It seems that the efforts did not succeed to persuade former president to leave Yemen and give up the presidency of the GPC. Many people hope that former president would adopt rationality as “Yemenis are wise”, and be content with the power he enjoyed for decades and the immunity he was granted. They also hope that he gives Yemen the chance to be out of the deadlock and see a new horizon, achieving the desired democracy, freedom, dignity and justice.   
If the obstacles and difficulties remained in the new President’s way, he will not be able to achieve the requirements and demands of the GCC Initiative and face the challenges of the stage. The transitional stage might end up before the accomplishment of its goals, and the Initiative might be thwarted due to the obstacles and difficulties being posed in the transitional stage.    

Therefore, the regional forces that guard the GCC Initiative and the external supportive UN forces should exert stronger pressure on the former president to leave Yemen for two years. Also, to give up presidency of the GPC, making room for the new President to exercise his duties freely and play his historical role in leading Yemen to a new horizon. All that for the achievement of the legitimate demands including democracy, equality, dignity, human rights, rule of law, independence of judiciary, combating corruption, in addition to the economic, political and social development, within an integral framework for a comprehensive development,