President addresses nation on revolution celebrations

SANA’A,(Saba) – President Ali Abdullah Saleh addressed on Saturday the Yemeni people on celebrations of the Yemeni revolution 26 September. In his speech, president Saleh said that the years after revolution witnessed great national achievements at political, democratic, economic, social,security and cultural levels. He announced that about 1671 development and service projects would be inaugurated during the current celebrations at a total cost YR 104 billion. “The main event that increases our happiness this year is the victory of military and security forces over insurgency in Maran district in Saada province as it was against stability of the country and constitution,”he said. He renewed his congratulations for military and security forces who put an end for that rebellion. He said that the competition in all different aspects of life is legal and protected by the constitution and law in light of democracy and freedom. He added that political multiparty should be an ideal example through responsible practice of democracy within the framework of peaceful exchange of power. “We should believe that the opposition is the other partner of power,but the opposition should shoulder its national responsibility and to be a tool of construction, not a destructive tool. It should adopt reasonable and responsible political speech, far from negative viewpoints that lead to damage the public interests of the Yemen nation,” he said. Regarding Arab and international issues, president Saleh pointed out to the challenges that surround Arab nations in different fronts. He pointed to the serious developments in Iraq and Palestine which, he said, increased due to the absence of the Arab solidarity and joint coordination among Arab countries to face such challenges. “We are in Yemen confirmed many times the importance of breaking the current Arab and Islamic bad situation by working together to obtain solidarity among Arab and Islamic nations, he added. He also called for adopting unified visions to face all those challenges far from isolation, saying ” we feel sadness for what Palestinian people are suffering from. They suffer frequent violations of their rights by Israeli occupation forces.” He indicated to the Israeli stance that challenged the resolutions of the international community, saying that the way to get peace and security in the region should come through approving the rights of the Palestinians to set their independent state in their lands and Al-Quds as its capital. “In Yemen, we are observing the miserable developments in Iraq, and we recall our stance against foreign occupation and call on occupation to entirely withdraw from Iraq to restore security and stability in Iraq,he said. He called all Iraqi people to forget the past and begin to build unified and democratic Iraq within protecting the unification and sovereignty of Iraq’s territories. “We should avoid utilizing the right of Iraqis to resist the occupation for committing terrorist acts that harm the reputation of the Iraqi resistance and Iraqi people in general as well as the Islamic religion, he said. About developments in Sudan’s Darfur, president Saleh confirmed the stand of Yemen that supports Sudan’s right to keep its security, unification and stability. He added that Yemen supports efforts exerted to restore security and peace in Somali to allow Somali’s people to build their country after the war and strengthening their national unity. President Saleh said that Yemen exerted and still exert great efforts to fight terrorism, adding that Yemen achieved positive results in this regard. He condemned all forms of terror and confirmed Yemen’s support for international efforts to root out the terrorism, calling upon the international community to differentiate between terror and the right of resistance against occupation. AH/NSSABA