Brotherhood desperate to disrupt a new telecom company separate from Houthi
English - Tuesday 22 August 2023 الساعة 06:33 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, exclusive:
The Yemeni government's decision to approve the establishment of a new telecommunications company angered the Brotherhood, the local wing of the "Islah Party", which was quick to announce its rejection of this company that serves the liberated areas and ends the Houthi hegemony over the telecommunications sector in Yemen.
About 21 parliamentarians, most of them from the Islah Party or their loyalists, rushed, just hours after announcing this decision, to express their refusal and address a letter of objection to the Prime Minister on the establishment of a joint communications company between the government side and the telecommunications company "NX" operating in the United Arab Emirates.
The parliamentarians argued in their speech that the reason for their rejection of the government's decision is that the fact-finding parliamentary committee that was formed to investigate a number of files, including the telecommunications sector, has not finished. They demanded the Prime Minister to wait for the issuance of the committee’s report, which will be submitted at a time not specified in the letter to the Presidency of the House of Representatives, before the House is subsequently addressed with its results.
The speech addressed to the Prime Minister revealed the truth of the deliberate attempt to thwart any serious government moves to restore the communications sector from under the Houthi administration, which reaps billions of riyals for its own treasury. Where the letter indicated that the Yemeni government provided the parliamentary committee last May with clarifications about the telecommunications sector and the importance of establishing a new company in the liberated areas away from Houthi control, but the parliamentary committee continued to procrastinate and ignore discussing the government's response and expressing an opinion on it.
The Yemeni Ministry of Communications refuted the allegations promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood regarding the establishment of the new company, which is a sale to the "Aden Net" company, explaining that these allegations and fabrications are incorrect and that the project is a partnership and investment between the government and one of the leading companies in the field of communications, and its aim is to develop and expand the "project". Aden Net" in accordance with the laws currently in force.
The speech was accompanied by a frantic campaign launched by the Brotherhood media and a number of their activists in an attempt to stop the project, which represents a glimmer of hope to end the Houthi hegemony over the telecommunications sector in Yemen.
A number of activists on social media were surprised by the frenzied attacks on the government after its big step in ending the Houthi militia's hegemony over the telecommunications sector in Yemen, explaining that the Brotherhood stresses their keenness to continue the flow of communications revenues to the Houthis monthly, in exchange for not entering a telecom company that has nothing to do with the UAE only.
The Hadhrami journalist, Muhammad Bajabir, said: "Years ago, the Houthis, with the help of the Omanis, acquired the telecommunications company "MTN" under the name of the Yemeni Omani Telecommunications Company, and we did not hear the wailing of the Brotherhood or even the parliamentarians who were silent and they and their activists continued to use the new company's chips with joy and without any movement or statement." .
He added: There are more than 15 million subscribers in telecommunications companies, including 11 million subscribers in Yemen Mobile - the largest mobile company in Yemen under the control of the Houthi militia - and these subscribers pay about one and a half billion per month, not to mention service fees and taxes that exceed about 20 times as much.
Activist Hani Al-Awani asked the members of Parliament who announced their rejection of the government decision: "Where is your parliament that did not move a finger when the Omani company entered Sana'a and the governorates of Yemen in partnership with Al-Houthi in communications?" He added: "But we know that your opposition to building any institution in the south is part of your economic war against the people of the south," and he said, "Thus you will prove to those who still believe you that you are more loyal to Houthis than Houthis themselves, You have lost, traitors."
Activist Ahmed bin Mahfouz addressed the parliamentarians and Brotherhood activists who are promoting that the establishment of a telecommunications company independent of Houthi is a great betrayal of the country: "The existence of communications under the supervision of Houthi is not treason; Iran's spying on Yemenis through Houthi is not treason. Why are you misleading the Yemeni people and making fools of them?"
He added, "Telecommunications companies all over the world were established through international cooperation. Why demonize the Emirates? Yemen, in order for it to catch up with the Emirates in a civilized manner, takes several centuries. So why do you celebrate your ignorance?"
