By:almotamar.net - Ali Abdullah Saleh, candidate of the General People's Congress running for presidency in the elections slated for Sept 20,2006, has launched his campaign with a festival in the city of Sa'adah, 242 kms north of Sana'a.
Ali Abdullah Saleh delivered a speech in which he greeted the people of Sa'adah.
"I launch my election campaign from the province of Sa'adah as I remember a historical event in Yemen's history, i.e., when a campaign started in Sa'adah to reunify Yemen and moved southwards to meet our brothers in Aden to declare the Republic of Yemen," he said.
He added, "We have received great public support from this province. I am extremely pleased with the competitive democratic motion involving us and the JMP. So let them compete without lying to people.
"I speak to you frankly as you have known us. You were faithful to us during the cessation war. I still remember the convoys coming from Sa'adah, I still remember the courageous heroes who sacrificed themselves to preserve the Yemeni Unity. Caravans and men came from this province to contribute to the eradication of cessationists and insurgents.
"We are now happy with this democratic motion. It is no shame and we take pride on it and the whole Yemeni nation is taking pride on it among other nations."
He further stated, "Today, we are launching a competitive presidential election campaign. I do not mean to review the overall development accomplishments. However, we are talking about the future which is more important. Fellow people, we are going together in order eradicate poverty and illiteracy and to create job opportunities for all unemployed wherever they are during 2007 and 2008 with Allah's willing. With the cooperation of the faithful and honest men, poverty and unemployment are to be eradicated and job opportunities will be created all over the country. This is no election rhetoric."
He announced that the donor conference is going to be held in London to boost Yemen's development and that Yemen has forwarded a 45-million-dollar package of projects to the conference for funding by the EU and brotherly and friendly countries.
He added, "It is a wonderful democratic election battle. I wish the JMP leaders themselves appeared at this political battle instead of hiring a person from outside their grouping to lead the country. How come that a hired president leads the country? How could he talk to the people of Sa'adah while he does not know them as he does not know even his former fellow Cabinet members? It is utterly ridiculous on the part of the JMP to bring a hired president.
"I don�t want to talk much. However, I call on Abdul-Malik Al-
Houthi, Abdullah Al-Ruzami, and Yahya Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi to go back to their homes fearlessly to lead their political life like their fellow countrymen. If they want to establish a political party, they may do so according to the law.
"I reiterate that we are managing to address the aftermaths of Marran and Al-Ruzamat wars and we will do our best to remove their repercussions. All insurgent youths should go back to their homes without fear having all rights and duties. I once again thank Sa'adah people for their noble stances."
He concluded his speech with a call on the presidential candidates to give prudent political discourses, not to lie to the public and not to promise something they cannot fulfill as they do not have experience in governance.
"We have tested them during the totalitarian regime in the southern part of the country and during our coalition government. They could not manage even themselves," he said