YEMEN - The North-South Merger & Challenges.

Last month, Yemen marked the 16th anniversary of the May 22, 1990, merger between the northern and southern sectors. That was the most important event in the modern history of Yemen. It was an achievement unique in the Arab world: unification had come with more than just the elimination of borders between the two sectors and the issuance of a uniform ID card for all Yemenis. It was thanks to some of the political parties which had played a major role in the re-unification of the country, notably including the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), which before May 22, 1990, used to rule a Marxist South Yemen.

The YSP, however, became one of the worst sufferers of the merger as the socialists were overwhelmed by Saleh's ruling General People's Congress (GPC) from the north. Although the GPC has often acted as a buffer between the YSP and fanatic Islamists of the north, the ruling party's manipulations has more often sidelined the liberal socialists of the south and marginalised them in local politics. GPC manipulations have tended to allow the Islamists to get stronger at the expense of the YSP, whose liberal faction has become an important part of a mainstream promoting improvements in a degree of democracy introduced since the second half of 1990 and reinforced after the North-South civil war of mid-1994.

Reunification has opened up horizons for the Yemenis which could never have materialised. These uncluded the sharing of resources and, more important, the inclusion of Yemeni emigrant groups which have brought in large capital from areas where they used to live before - such as the Western Province of Saudi Arabia where merchant clans originating from Hadhramout now are among the main investors in Yemen.

The 1990s witnessed abrupt changes, as large countries collapsed into ethnic or sectarian subdivisions. Yemenis began to unite at that time. The union of the north's Yemen Arab Republic and the south's People's Democratic Republic of Yemen occurred through peaceful dialogue and the desire to leave behind an era of discord.

The most important result of union was the introduction of democratic practices, along with institutionalisation of a multi-party system. The Press and Publication Law 25 of 1990 secured freedom of expression, thought, and communication leading to the establishment of about 200 newspapers and magazines.

Law 66 of 1991 for the political organisations and parties specified the rights, obligations, and procedures for the formation of political parties. After its enactment, 46 political parties were recognised. The democratic form of government after the 1994 war allowed Yemen to avoid serious political and economic crises. Foreign political and economic aid was allocated to Yemen because of its respect for democracy. Respect for women rights and allowing NGOs to operate in Yemen have gained international respect. Women have obtained many rights and continue to struggle for more.

The first Gulf War in early 1991 - which featured the US-led liberation of Kuwait from Iraq of Saddam's Ba'thist dictatorship - significantly weakened the Yemeni economy - mainly because San'a' sided with Baghdad as Iraqi forces invaded the oil-rich emirate in August 1990; most of the Yemeni expatriates were expelled from Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries due the negative consequences of Saleh's pro-Saddam position. Previously, the GCC had been a key source of revenue for Yemen. Over 2m Yemenis worked in Saudi Arabia alone. Yemeni migrants provided a large part of Yemen's hard-currency earnings. Their return to Yemen caused an economic catastrophe, increasing unemployment and aggravating poverty. In addition, terrorist activity has resulted in financial loss, hitting the tourism sector in Yemen especially hard.

The greatest problem now is the spread of corruption. It has delayed the progress of unity, exacerbating defects in most institutions. Many of these institutions are on the verge of collapse due to corruption.

The 1994 war made Yemenis realise the importance of their unity. Since then, there has been growing criticism of the state, mainly against influential northern officials. The events of 2004, including the al-Houthy drama, highlighted the regime's wrongs and the urgency for change. Journalists, intellectuals, human rights advocates and even common citizens continuously demand reform, with living standards deteriorating further.