President Saleh calls rich countries to help poor

SANA’A, -President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on Sunday rich countries to help poor peoples to resolve problems of poverty to go together toward democracy. “The poverty is an epidemic. If peoples could not find good living standard, it will be silly to say that the democracy is going on.” Addressing the participants of the Conference of Democracy, Political Reforms and Freedom of Expression, president Saleh said that the change should come from inside not from abroad. The two-day conference is being held in Sana’a. He said that Yemen adopted a choice of democracy since 1990. “It was a correct choice,” he said. He renewed call for the international observers to take part in the presidential and local elections that will be held next September, 2006. He confirmed that the elections would be fair and free. “It is the age of democracy. We should benefit from the successful experiments of democratic countries.” He said that Yemen is a poor country and always there is a fighting between poverty and democracy. “But, in spite of all that, Yemen has achieved notable progress in fields of reforms and democracy benefiting from experiences of others.” He pointed out to the current situations in Iraq, calling occupation forces to call for a national dialogue for all political forces in Iraq under sponsorship United States. He said that such dialogue would resolve problem there at 80 % and make an end for the aggressive acts. He called on the international community to offer assistance to re- building Somalia, saying that the bad situation in the African country would make it as hideout for terrorism. Regarding Palestinian issue, president Saleh said that the resistance of the Palestinian people is legal not terror, asking to stop terror of the Zionist entity against Palestinian people. He concluded by calling rich and democratic countries to offer assistance to the developing and poor counties in order to realize democracy. AH/AH SABA