Saleh calls on JMPs to participate actively in elections
MUKALA- President Ali Abdullah Saleh reiterated on Monday his call to the Joint Meeting Parties (JMPs), topped by the Islah Party, to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
He considered the non-participation of those parties in the elections as a political suicide.
This came in his speech he delivered at the speech festival which was held at Hadramout University and attended by scholars, members of local councils and executive offices, leaders of civil society organizations, social figures and representatives of various sectors in Hadramout province.
He assured citizens that the election would go smoothly, saying "We will call on all international observers to monitor the elections' integrity".
"Who wants power does not call for banditry, killing, hatred, racism and regionalism, but he must direct to the polls, which is the right path to reach the power", said Saleh.
Pointing to the essential amendments of some constitutional articles currently being discussed by the Parliament, Saleh welcomed in this regard the opposition parties' views regarding constitutional texts or amendments.
He stressed that any amendments or dialogue outside the State institutions' framework can not be accepted at all.
Among the constitutional amendments is making a constitutional text to give women 15 percent of seats in the parliament, he pointed.
On expanding powers of the local ruling, Saleh said that there would be like local governments with all powers and potentials, and the central authority would be responsible only for supervision, planning and programming.
He added that the management of all offices of education, health, agriculture and fisheries would be transferred to the provinces.
President Saleh confirmed that the developmental and economic aspect is the most important and the main program for the next session of the Parliament.
He congratulated Hadramout's people on the occasion of the New Year and all achievements that have been realized in Hadramout province, noting to the development witnessed by Hadramout, compared to its conditions when he visited it in 1988.
"Today in Hadramout but in Yemen as a whole, many things have been achieved in various areas despite the modest and limited resources", he said.
He noted to the development witnessed by Hadramout, compared to its conditions when he visited it in 1988.
There are a large number of graduates from universities and institutes, Saleh said noting that the focus is always on the vocational and technical institutes to qualify skilled and productive labor, which is useful to the development process in the country.
"We want in our electoral program to focus on economic solutions and look for genius economists working on providing practical solutions to the economic problems", Saleh said.
The government has to provide all facilities and facilitate difficulties for investors and give them a timetable to accomplish their projects, Saleh added, noting in this regard to investors have been taking lands for 21 years in Aden, Mukala, Sana'a and Hodeidah and have done nothing so far.
He called on national capital, expatriates in neighboring countries, and foreign investors to invest in Yemen in various industrial areas, particularly in heavy and manufacturing industries, which provide a lot of jobs for labors.
Saleh continued saying" The country is fine and the words of press and media and cultural terrorism does not exist on the ground."
There are political forces calling for chaos since four years but they achieved nothing because the people are with the unity, security and stability, he added.
President Saleh confirmed that projects of restructuring roads and their facilities in Mukala would be achieved at a cost of YR 3 billion, in addition to the electrical network at a cost of YR 360 million and agricultural projects at a cost of about YR 2.2 billion.
Concluding his speech, Saleh praised the Hadramout people's awareness and their respect for the order, the constitution and the law..