Shortly
following the internationally funded uncontested election in Yemen, a
high-ranking western diplomat berated me for not voting. When I asked
him, "would people in your country be happy with a one-person
election?" He responded: "people in my country are not
trying to kill each other!"
While
not all diplomats think this way, unfortunately, that simplistic and
ignorant statement is what drives much of western policy on Yemen --
if there is a policy -- and it is also why it is expected that
Yemenis should accept half solutions -- should in fact celebrate
them! Atiaf Alwazir writes.
