Yemeni politicians and activists have accused parties within the Common Meeting, particularly the Islah party, of acting as a political operations room that served the Houthi agenda prior to 2014, allegedly contributing to the collapse of the state and the republican system under the guise of opposition. Political activist Hafez Mutair stated that parties and figures affiliated with the Common Meeting were politically exploited to advance the Houthi project. He highlighted roles attributed to leaders representing the Haq Party, the Popular Forces Union, and the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party within the Common Meeting bloc, suggesting these roles helped pave the way for the events of September 21, 2014. Mutair further elaborated on his Facebook page that leaders within the Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah) party were, in his words, "politically dragged" into this trajectory. He asserted that other components of the Common Meeting were not detached from this political maneuvering, which ultimately enabled the Houthi militia to seize control of the capital, Sana'a, and state institutions. He explained that following the Houthi takeover, these political forces diverged into two paths. The first directly joined the militia and participated in military operations, abandoning their political and human rights slogans. The second path, after the commencement of Arab Coalition operations, attempted to position itself within the legitimate government's camp to influence its decisions and contain it, thereby, according to their claims, preventing the emergence of independent republican leadership. The politicians and activists called for a broad and transparent national discussion regarding the role of political parties and forces in the pivotal stages preceding and following 2014. They also urged for accountability of those responsible for decisions and practices that led to the undermining of the state and the prolongation of the conflict in Yemen. |
