Yemen's national dialogue conference resumes after Eid

Yemen President Hadi (C) chairs a meeting with national dialogue officials in Sanaa Sanaa – Ali Rabea Yemen's National Dialogue Conference has continued in the capital Sanaa on Monday, after a short break for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr. On Sunday, President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi called on political parties involved in the conference to grasp the "historic opportunity" for dialogue and establish a better future for the country.
During a meeting with senior state officials, President Hadi discussed progress at the dialogue conference, along with its agenda for the final phase which ends in September.
"Yemeni people are relying on the conference findings for a promising future," Yemen's state news agency SABA quoted Hadi as saying.
The head of state also urged all parties to take advantage of the historic opportunity, calling on the political, social, cultural forces to grasp it, and make Yemen a model for the international community.    
Meanwhile, the Southern Movement representatives at the conference threatened to withdraw from the event, unless some of the findings of the forum are implemented.
Southern Movement representatives are calling for the dissolution of the current parliament and for the conference to be turned into a constituent assembly which would oversee the transitional period and guarantee the implementation of NDC findings.
Southern politician argue that that the current Yemeni parliament does not represent the south and southern groups.
Yemen's former interior minister and dialogue conference member, Hussein Arab said that the dialogue conference gave members of the Southern Movement the opportunity to discuss the southern issue on a regional and international platform. He urged the southern factions to take advantage of the stage they have been given to argue their case.
"The conference cannot be successful without the existence of fair solution for the southern cause," Arab added during a meeting with activists from the Southern Movement at his home on Sunday afternoon.
The national dialogue conference is expected to conclude in September, with plans to form a governmental commission to draft the new constitution which will be put to a referendum before the end of the year.