Reform process would not succeed Without fighting poverty: Saleh

WASHINGTON, June 12(Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh recalled that any reform from outside the Arab states would not succeed if it would not match up with fighting poverty and making comprehensive peace. He said in an interview to the Washington-based Al-Hura space channel that Yemen had been invited to G-8 summit with a number of Arab states : Jordan, Algerian and Bahrain because those countries have democratic institutions and that means they started the right moves toward reforms. He said in his reply on a question about the American “Greater Middle East initiative that includes Pakistan and Iran beside the Middle East, “they want us to leave Middle East and Arab-Israeli conflict and thinking only of Iran.” President Saleh confirmed that the reform in the region is an Arab affair and would not be imposed from outside. “We, Arab states, believe we should make reforms without any pressures,” Saleh said. Saleh added that “Yemen has started reforms 14 years ago through opening the door for free journalism , respecting human rights, empowering the role of women, adopting democratic presidential and parliamentary elections. No one refuses democracy. Democracy is wanted but every country has its particularities and dedicating democracy from outside cause would have serious reactions. We have to reform ourselves before others come to reform us,” he added. Asked about talks with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on economic reforms in Yemen, president Saleh said that the IMF and WB asked Yemen to lift subsidies on some materials, especially minerals like diesel and gas, but dryness and scarcity of rains prevents Yemen to take this step now because it would add more burdens in people. ” We cannot bring together two complexities” Saleh said. “IMF and WB should understand our situation. If they do no, it is our own decision to apply their advices now or later. The decision will be a Yemeni” Saleh underlined. Regarding the role of media in pushing the reform strategy, president Saleh said that credible, independent and competent journalists have their role to create the public culture and awareness toward the necessity of reform and standing by the state to achieve developmental goals. ” We always ask journalists to be accurate and depend upon realities,” Saleh said. NS/NS