President: We accepted Gulf initiative to save blood
SANA'A- President Ali Abdullah Saleh renewed acceptance of Gulf initiative to solve Yemen's crisis and signing it as complete agreement for saving Yemeni blood and ending riots and protests that hindered development and annoyed citizens.
Saleh said in interview with Russia Today Channel the initiative must be carried out as a whole and that GCC countries must work on creating a mechanism to implement it without change to any item or clause.
Over the reasons behind the crisis, he said the crisis in Yemen is not new. It has started in 2006 when the Joint Meeting Parties hardly accepted the results of the presidential elections. As a result, protests and marches began early and after Tunisian and Egyptian incidents, they started imitation of what happened there with the help of Al Jazeerah. By these acts, they escalated the crisis for their interests with big audience from the citizens. They revolted against the constitutional legitimacy and created riots.
He demanded ending protests and called rebels from the army to surrender or get out of the country along with inciters from the citizens. He preconditioned to sign the initiative that Qatar must go out from it because it supports Al- Jazeerah which incites fro riots in the Arab world.
Regarding the time of power transition and his political future, Saleh said he accepted the time given by the initiative and he has not any conservation on this. He said he will remain the chairman of the General People Congress until the party holds a meeting and chooses new leadership and will keep his political work inside the party. He said he will not return to the authority. " Authority for me is a finished topic I will not run again for authority, bequeath it or do anything regarding it. I will consider myself from this now ahead a president of the party I established in 1982 and I will not leave only after electing a new leadership."
In respect to opposition's accusation of repressing the protests by using extreme force, he said this is not correct and accused the JMP of attacking camps of supporters of GPC. The riots they created resulted in killing five and injuring 300. The security had not directions from the authority.
In respect to attitudes of local and regional powers and international organizations, he said first of all I thank Russia for its position in the United Nations Security Council. It was positive attitude, some western countries are investigating political powers who will take over the authority as the situation will eventually end to the opposition. The opposition will not take over power as the GPC has the majority. They refuse presidential and parliamentary elections because they know they do not have majority.
We accepted to leave the authority before 2013 to save blood despite the fact that what is going on is a rebellion against constitution. Some Arab and western countries are helping them in this issue. What is going on in the Middle East is a riot and agendas against these countries in the region.
Regarding divisions in the streets and the position of Ali Mohsen, he said Mohsen has escaped to the protest near the camp he leads and that songs and religious preaching as well as dancing and hustle and bustle have affected him. He thought the regime will leave and joined what is called revolution. As part of the regime, he sought a shelter in the revolution.
Over what was described insult to woman, he said Yemeni woman is my sister, mother and daughter and that his speech he delivered on woman did not include insult to woman but he condemned the Islah's party's contradicting positions over separations between girls and boys.
He concluded the interview by directing a message to JMP to return to the dialogue and reconciliation and put Yemen's interests above their own. He called them not to push young people to death and keep themselves away. They are protecting themselves and afraid to go with them even Ali Mohsen is afraid and cannot go home for lunch.
