Democracy in the making

Today is the International Day of Democracy. This year’s theme – Engaging Young People on Democracy – is particularly relevant for Yemen. Three years ago, young Yemenis took to the streets in pursuit of democracy. Yemen’s democratic journey has been guided by the National Dialogue Conference, which led to the agreement of a new social contract, acknowledging the demands and interests of all Yemenis and most importantly those of vulnerable and minority groups.

 Today, three years on from the youth-led revolution, Yemenis continue to seek a government that is made up of the people, chosen by the people and that works for the people. At the end of the day, that is what democracy means. Members of the Constitution Drafting Committee are busy drafting a new constitution for Yemen, which reflects the interests and demands of all Yemeni citizens.

In parallel the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum is preparing a new Biometric Voter Registry which will replace the contested former registry with one that is legitimate, credible and transparent, ahead of a constitutional referendum next year. This will be followed by elections: the chance for Yemenis to choose who should represent their demands and interests in the future government of Yemen.

Yemen’s journey has not been an easy one. Various challenges, including the presence of AQAP, the actions of spoilers and systemic corruption continue to threaten Yemen’s political transition. These have caused severe delays to timelines along the way and the process needs to speed up.

It is important that Yemenis do not lose faith in the political transition and continue to work together to address these challenges.  This will require a lot of patience with each other but, as the Yemeni saying goes, success is the fruit of long patience.

Such a future is possible, through a constitution which protects the rights and freedoms of all citizens, upholds the rule of law, and sets Yemen on a path to more transparent, accountable and responsive government, where Yemen’s vibrant civil society can play its role in holding government to account.

Yemen is not alone in this endeavour. It is backed by strong regional and international support. The UK is providing over £11 million  of support to Yemen’s National Dialogue, Constitution-drafting process and elections. We are also planning to support civil society in Yemen to hold government to account; and help the Government of Yemen control corruption, including through a workshop at the end of this month which will draw on experience in other countries to discuss new ideas for combatting corruption in Yemen.

The road to democracy is long and hard-won. The UK’s own democratic journey took 700 years, from the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 (which declared that a council of barons could overrule the King) to women getting the right to vote in 1918. Yemen’s own journey will be much faster! The UK looks forward to supporting Yemen through this process, to make sure the Yemeni people get the bright future that they deserve.