The Royal Republics

The president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced couple of days ago in a party gathering in Yemen that he is not going to run as a candidate for the presidency in next year elections. Amidst the shock of party activist, president Saleh continued to say that it's time for a newer generation, a youthful one, to run and rule the country. He also said that the rulers, he meant the Arabs; have to leave office before they are forced to do so. For many observers this gesture sounded like a real change in Arab politics. Well, it is, but a smart and clever maneuver on the part of President Saleh that probably will be followed by other Arab presidents. When president Saleh mentioned transferring the rein of powers to a new generation of Yemenis he was eying his Son who also happens to be the head of the republican guards and the Special Forces that basically protects the regime. President Saleh, probably, will have his party elect his son as its running candidate for the presidency, and probably if this happens, the son will win. President Saleh by this maneuver would prove to be a clever politician who while out of office will be in the office through his son. Also the president will protect his son while he, the president, is alive and lastly would ensure that his son will be elected again while he is alive. I talked briefly about this point in previous articles but thought to bring a fresh example of what I already have predicted that the Arab presidents are emulating the system of the monarchs and trying to create the royal republics where you have a republican for of government without a form a royal title or a formal inheritance system. Watch next for Mubarak of Egypt and Gaddafi of Libya.