Two Yemens Unite Armies as Historic Merger Nears : Middle East: Diplomats expect the nations, one conservative and one Marxist, to declare union soon.

Conservative Yemen and Marxist South Yemen have united their armed forces and agreed to withdraw them from their capitals in the latest swift move towards a historic merger scheduled for this month.

Officials and diplomats have widely predicted that a united Yemen will be declared before the end of May.

The Sana-based weekly publication 26 September quoted “reliable sources” Sunday as saying the declaration will come during the last week of May, six months ahead of schedule.

“All arrangements for this historic event in the life of Yemen and the Arab nation have been completed, and there remain only minor executive measures,” the newspaper said.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday that the security forces of both countries have been dissolved.

“From now on, there is no reason for the existence of the state security organ in Aden and the national security organ in Sana--both have been dissolved within the framework of the united state,” Sana radio quoted him as saying.

“It is our view that the capitals should be cleared of armed forces, which should be withdrawn to defined military zones . . . rather than piling up weapons in the capitals,” Saleh said.

Diplomats in Sana said the move clears one of the main stumbling blocks to the merger. Saleh’s government has strong military backing, while South Yemen wants a clear separation between the state and military.

“Armies will be moved to border areas of the new state, and there will be a larger role in the cities for a unified police force,” one diplomat said.

The weekly 26 September said Saleh and the head of the ruling South Yemeni Socialist Party, Ali Salim Bidh, will decide the date for a final meeting between both parliaments at a summit in Aden. It gave no date.

In the last major step before the unity declaration, both legislative bodies are due to ratify a draft constitution approved in November. A joint ministerial meeting will take place May 20 to approve the rules of the merger process, the paper said.

Diplomats and officials in Yemen say the merger has been speeded up to forestall any attempts to undermine the creation of the new state of 12 million people.

Saudi Arabia expressed renewed support Sunday for the union and denied a press report that it was trying to sabotage the move by funding fractious Yemeni tribesmen near its borders.

Initial plans called for the state to be announced by Nov. 30 after a popular vote on the unity constitution.

Diplomats say the referendum has apparently been scrapped, and the six-month transition period initially envisioned extended to 2 1/2 years from the declaration date to allow ample time for ministries to merge and political parties to form.

Elections will be held at the end of that period.

Officials say Saleh will be named president of the united Yemen and Bidh vice president. It was not known what would happen to the current South Yemeni president, Haider abu Bakr Attas.

A transitional parliament will be formed with 31 representatives from newly formed political parties, 159 Yemeni deputies and 111 from South Yemen, officials say.

The new legislative body must ratify 53 draft unity laws.

South Yemen has been liberalizing its economic institutions in anticipation of the merger. Last Thursday, it devalued its dinar by 24% in a move which bankers said effectively merged it with Yemen’s riyal, bringing the two closer to a common currency.