President Saleh delivers address on Eid al-Fitr

SANA’A, Sep. 09 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh renewed on Thursday the call to convene a reconciliation in Saada province, in the far north of Yemen, ‘’in order to entrench peace and stability’’. ‘’It is appropriate to renew the call to convene a reconciliation in Saada province as well as in other provinces of the country in order to entrench peace and stability and to remove all remnants of conflicts inherited from eras of the Imamate, colonialism and separation’’, President Saleh said in a speech on the Eid al-Fitr, adding the reconciliation will devote all efforts for construction and development and to promote the stability ‘’that provides climates for investment and production’’ in the country. The president also called on the people of Yemen to counter extremist and terrorist elements of al-Qaeda, describing them as deviates from the teachings of Islam and national consensus. ‘’They remain killing…, hurting the interests of the country and the nation and harming the image of Islam and Muslims’’, he accused them, ‘’They are ignorant and agents… they force the country to face conflicts drain capacities and resources’’. Saleh affirmed that the responsibility of all Yemenis is to counter and fight strongly and continuously those terrorist elements via all available means, including guidance, enlightenment and rehabilitation. ‘’Everyone should counter and fight strongly and continuously those terrorist elements…and dry their intellectual and financial sources in addition to dismantle their terrorist cells and pursuit their elements in all areas of their presence. It is not only the task of security personnel and the army forces, but it is the task of all Yemenis’’. The President also went on to say that the people of Yemen would not allow enemies to achieve their goals and undermine the cohesion and national unity and its gains and achievements. In his address to the Yemeni people on the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, President Saleh said that Islam is a religion of moderation, tolerance and compassion, adding it is biased for good, peace and cooperation. ‘’Our religion calls for love, brotherhood and peace and rejects the culture of hatreds and chaos… that only destroys the bonds of brotherhood and love between the citizens of one country,’’ added Saleh, ‘’Those who resort to the hatreds take advantage of the climate of freedom and democracy that has enabled all of our people to have the right of freedom of opinion and expression. Unfortunately, some people abused that freedom and make their way to inspire poisons of hatreds and grudges, that are only in the interest of the enemies of the country’’. Saleh called on participants in the national dialogue process to preserve the achievements of the Yemeni revolutions and maintain an environment of political, democratic processes. ‘’We are confident that our people will be the strong bond to strengthen the spirit of dialogue and reconciliation and expand it between various political and social parties… in order to address all issues of concern to the nation and its future generations. So, everyone should make the dialogue, that we called for and sponsored, among all political parties and CSOs a way to preserve the gains of the Yemeni revolutions, the 26 September, the 14 October and the National 22 May Day’’. In addition, Saleh urged local authorities in the provinces of the country to follow up on evaders to pay Zakat and taxes due on them and take necessary actions against them. He also called upon the competent authorities to devise new mechanisms to collect and develop practical plans to activate the use in order to serve development and service projects in the country. ‘’We also argue the government to extend the efforts of economic reforms which started to come out good results, including the enhancement of the national currency and the improvement of economic performance, that meet the needs of citizens and their interests’’, said Saleh, pointing out that the economic issue will remain the most important focus of the government attention at the current and coming stages. In the conclusion of his address, the president expressed the warmest congratulations and greetings to the security and army personnel on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr. YA Saba