Yemeni Corruption and the Rule of Law

For a man still recuperating from wounds inflicted in an assassination attempt, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is a remarkably resilient political operative hanging onto the reins of power. Yet it may be the systematic stench of corruption that overwhelms his regime more than human rights abuses.

President Saleh canceled his scheduled trip to the United States, postponing medical treatment, because of the current strife in the country. Protests abound, and that visit for medical treatment could have easily been a one-way trip to involuntary exile, given that Saleh's family and friends no longer have firm control over the government, including the military.

The average Yemeni protesting in the street is sick and tired of the endemic corruption that vests wealth and power in the hands of a few at the expense of the many, often by applying the force of the rule of law to misappropriate.

That this may change soon is seen as protestors drive President Saleh's cronies from positions of power, from airline CEO to army general; to be a corrupt ally of the president means your job is no longer safe as protestors, including military members, force resignations. It remains to be seen whether Saleh will have the audacity to replace one ousted corrupt crony with another and hope the public doesn't notice.

Whether Saleh leaves power of his own accord as promised, or is forcibly removed as he drags his feet trying to transition power to his allies, change is coming spurred on by angry mobs that have had enough of the corruption.

To be sure, even if President Saleh and his allies turn over the reins of power, there is no assurance that the rule of law will prevail to root out corruption and protect fundamental human rights. In fact there is a real risk that the current regime will be replaced with an equally unpalatable government.

Protestors have also demanded the resignation of a college professor because he has given out too many failing grades to students in their view. Mob rule does not equate to justice or even the rule of reason, and rarely recognizes or respects the truth.

Moreover, Yemen risks following other "Arab Spring" nations on a path to rule by Sharia law as interpreted by those intent on building the Grand Caliphate. In each Middle East nation where an oppressive regime has been overthrown, Islamists have coopted the revolution to pursue their radical agenda at the expense of human rights, gender equality, religious freedom, and the rule of law.

The international community should welcome the reduction of corruption and encourage an orderly transition of power in Yemen. Yet nations and NGOs should also be cognizant of the risks of making a bad situation worse, creating a scenario where the Yemeni corruptocracy is replaced with an even more repressive regime misapplying the rule of law under purported divine authority.

Recommended Reading

Yemen rises up against its mini-dictators, UK Guardian (Jan. 5, 2012)

Yemen president capitalizes on his political wits, LA Times (Jan. 4, 2012)

In a Shift, the President of Yemen Will Stay Put, NY Times (Jan. 4, 2012)

New 'parallel revolution' against corruption, Al Jazeera (Jan. 2, 2012)