A once backward, feudal and colonized
society is being transformed into a progres-
sive, democratic and ultimately a socialist
society. Few people in the United States,
even on the Left, know much about the
People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen: this
situation must be corrected.

The following interview is with Ali Nas-
ser Mohammed, Prime Minister of the PDRY.
it was conducted by Carolyn and Richard
Lebban, and transiated by Nagib Kudar.

The interview kicks off a Daily World
series on the PORY, to be continued in Tues-
day’s Daily World.

Q. What. was the legacy left to your
country, in particular the economic effects,
of more than a century of British colon-
ialism?

A. Even though we have been independ-
ent from British colonialism for 8 years,
we are still suffering from the effects of 129
years of British rule. And we can’t sepa-
rate the economic influence of such a long
period of colonialism from the social and
cultural effects which we have also exper-
ienced.

First, as a colonized country we pro-
vided a market for the sale of British
goods, but there was no economic produc-
tion within our country. Even the service
sector of the economy depended on the
presence of colonialism to function. Thus
our national income was unable to cover
the expenses for government employees
and the army, much less cover anything
that might lead to development.

Secondly, and this grows out of the first
point, the general backwardness of the
economy created a social structure that
favored the petty bourgeois class and this
class was able to dominate the ideological,
political and cultural life of our people.

Finally, while colonialism exploited our
people and our resources, it did not de-
velop our economy and left us with little
upon which to build» For example in the
urban and rural areas there was a general
absence of statistics or planning, and the
gaps between the rural and urban areas
widened.

Today grain, meat, milk and tomatoes
can be produced within our country, yet
under colonialism we were forced to im-

port these items from abroad. Our tradi-.

tional crafts were practically wiped out by
colonialism, forcing us to buy manufac-
tured goods manufactured in Britain and
elsewhere. Under colonialism not one fac-
tory was built — today we have canning,
textile, cigarette and match factories and
more plans to build.

Q. How was nationalization carried out,
both in the towns and in the countryside?

A. Nationalization in the cities was aim-
ed at the foreign banks, monopolist firms
and it also affected our comprador bour-
geoisie. This was achieved by the National-
ization Law on November 27, 1969.

With the nationalization of these econ-
omic sectors we began taking radical steps
to liberate our national economy, estab-
lish new economic forms and create a new
system of management. This new system
was worker management of economic
organizations in a manner which serves
the development of the national economy.

In August, housing, controlled by the
big landlords, was nationalized. It had been
learned that these landlords were smug-
gling currency abroad and had refused to
pay the taxes imposed upon them by the
new state. :

In the countryside, nationalization took
the form of land reforms. Our rural areas
were still under the control of feudalism,
and the first step was to depose the feud-
alists from their traditional economic and
political hold over the people. This was
achieved by the Agrarian Reform Law of
November 5, 1970. The law was implement-
ed by the poor peasants and agricultural
workers through uprisings to take the
feudal and semi-feudal lands. The National
Liberation Front armed the peasants mili-
tarily and ideologically and they carried
through the agrarian reform.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 9, 1976—Page 8

Ali Nasser Muhammed

*

The revolution

South

Not only was the land seized but the
class struggle was deepened in the peas-
ants’ uprising against the feudalists. Also,
a spirit of adhering to the correct line
of political struggle was implanted in the
peasants’ consciousness, so that it is virtu-
ally impossible for reversals of the land
reform to take place. A spirit of collec-
tive struggle and work developed among
the peasants and agricultural workers

during the course of the uprisings and in the’

aftermath.

Yemen

You must understand that feudalism in
our country was barbaric and reached the
point of employing the peasant as a house-
hold slave in addition to exploiting his labor
for tilling the land.

Q. What are the aims of your current

economic development program?

A. So far we have had two economic
-development plans. The first was:a three
year plan which began in 1974: and was
completed in 1974, during which time the

‘Today women actively participate in work
and production; they bear arms side by side
with men to defend the revolution; and they
are helping to implement the programs for
economic and social development.’

- old social customs and traditions is linked ©

e

nationalization and other new economic
-measures were put into effect...

In 1974, the Five Year Social and Econ-
omic Development plan was begun and the |
aims of this plan are: 1) development and |
consolidation of the new economic forms,
the state sector and -the coopera |
tive sector; 2) developing a national indus’
try based on our own raw materials; 3) |
overcoming the difference between the’
volume of expenditure and the revenue in
the State Budget; 4) raising the material
and spiritual standards of the masses of the |
people and providing work for all who caf |
work. f

This will bring about a change in the”
social structure in favor of the working”
elass and will expand its influence upof
political life. This expanded working class
will take up its historic role of creating 4)
strong alliance between it and- the poor |
peasants and the cooperativefarmers.

Finally, we want to liberate our national |
economy from subservience to the foreign |
monopolies and lay the base for develop: |
ment to the next economic stage. This wé
see as the principle task of the present
national democratic revolution.

Q. How were the Yemeni women emal-
cipated in your country?

A. The emancipation of women from the

to the liberation of the whole of society |
from the old economic and social relations.
And the final emancipation of women is de |
pendent on the economic development of |
our country.

At present we do not claim that women |
have been completely emancipated in our |
society. However, we.can say that.the first |
and most basic steps have been taken. We |
have begun by opening schools to combat |
the high rate of illiteracy among women, |
and this has opened the way for women to
participate in the country’s political and
cultural life. Today women actively parti-
cipate in work and production; they. bear |
arms side by side with men_to defend the |
revolution; and they are helping to imple- |
ment the programs for economic and social |
development. a

A new Family Law has been introduced |
which equalizes relations between hus —
bands and wives and provides women with
new opportunities to regulate their ow?
lives. The Family Law was promulgated in
January 1975 and it prohibits polygamy and
the male right to unilateral divorce. 1)
stipulates that marriage cannot be com |
tracted without the consent of the man and |
the woman (arranged marriages were
common in the past). This law has broke!
the tradition whereby a woman’s fate was
determined by the price which would bé
offered to her parents for her hand in mal”
riage. By promulgating the Family LaW |
we have put an end to this human mer |
chandising. Generally, we are satisfie? |
with the progress made so far in equalizing |
the rights and duties of wornen alongsidé
men.

Q. How has the settlement of the nomad’.
ic population been achieved in People’s
Democratic Yemen?

A. Given the backward economic cond!
tions which I have .already described £0!
our country, still a large part of the pop”
lation were living life as.nomads and W®
recognized that we would have to take very
gradual steps in the solution of this prob
lem. We started with the opening of school®
for their children with free clothing, f
and medicine. When children returt
home on their vacations they had glowilté
reports of the new conditions under whi¢
they were living. Once the childrer: *4
completed school they were incorporate?
as workers within the hew economic
ganizations. i

At the same time we were able to beg!”
the incorporation of the parents of the ed’
cated children as agricultural workel*
on the cooperative farms. Others havé
come into. posession of lands which thed
have reclaimed and they now farm. .
have begun the campiagn against illitera®)
among the nomads as well. This has peel
one of the great accomplishments of
national democratic revolution.

WORLD MAGAZINE

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