Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
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Local News
Written By: Observer Staff
Article Date: Apr 29, 2008 - 2:38:46 AM
Marking the first general multi-party elections of 1993, Democracy Day was celebrated all over Yemen on April 27. Different community sectors and civil society organizations in Lahj demonstrated in celebration of the day and hailed the president’s initiative of the governors’ election.
The Governor of Lahj, Brigadier General Abdulwahab al-Dorah, launched the celebration by calling citizens to consolidate the local governance, incorporate decentralization, and empower the local facilities to encourage development. Several speeches were given during the celebration praising the glory of the day.
People in al-Dhale held public celebrations with their banners in support of the governors’ election. Governor Mohammed al-Ansi addressed the function, calling upon the JMP not to undermine democracy by boycotting the elections. He made it known that the real enemy is hatred, and that the authority and opposition should join together, rather than stirring up community panic and discord. The governor described the JMP governors elections’ boycott as a politically immature decision.
Amran political organizations marked the day by holding rallies, addressed by Sheikh Saleh Zimam Makhlos, the governorate council’s General Secretary, who spoke of the greatness of April 27. MP, Sheikh Abdullah Bedridden, also addressed the rally, expressing his and his community’s trust in the wisdom of those who lead the public. Rally banners denounced subversives and hailed the governors’ elections, expressing implementation of the president’s electoral agenda.
The political and civil society organizations in Taiz marked the occasion by giving speeches consolidating the democratic process through the peaceful transfer of power, considering the governors’ election as an important democratic step. They refused the subversive movements that intend to return to the pre-May 1990 division period.
Aden’s governor addressed the Khor Makassar’s civil society and political organizations gathering, considering the governors’ election decision as a political blow to some of the opposition parties’ policies which employ unrest and incitation of the mobs to carry out damages of public interests, like those which happened in Lahj and al-Dhale.
Al-Khulani considered the boycott of some parties to the governors’ elections as intolerance to democracy.
Hodeida’s local council’s General Secretary, Hassan Haij, spoke to the people and university students’ rally of the governors election’s resolution which confirms the credibility of the president’s electoral program.