President Saleh attends local authority conference in Ibb

IBB, June 03 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh attended on Wednesday an expanded
conference of Ibb province's local authority being held for two days under the motto
of "Active Management is the Foundation of Inclusive Development".

Participants in this event included ministers, parliamentarians, members of local
councils, senior official in the province and representatives of political parties
and civil society organizations.

Delivering the participants in the conference, President Saleh said that this
conference has great importance as it comprises the representatives of officials,
political parties and civil society organizations to discuss all concerns and
challenges which face the development in the province and address all difficulties
and problems.

"The election of local councils was a significant achievement to expand the popular
participation in the decision-making and the management of development process",
Saleh said.

"We have moved from the election of local councils into the election of governors.
Now we prepare to amend the local authority law in order to transfer into a system
of local government", he added.

"In the light of the transition into the local government, all the centralization
tasks and responsibilities would be transferred to the local authorities, including
local police and all administrative bodies".

President Saleh pointed out that these functions and powers would be entrusted to
the local authorities for applying the local government.

"It will be a part of your function is to elect governors and directors of districts
and civil and security institutions", he made it clear.

"There are elements try to fault the multiparty system of the country to force the
political leadership to reverse its decision approved by Yemeni people to apply
political pluralism and freedom of the press and respect human rights", he said,
confirming that these essentials have become irreversible options.

Saleh added that all issues should be resolved through dialogue within the local or
governmental authorities. "Dialogue is best way to address any disagreements or
inconsistencies in order to serve the development and modernization in the country".


"We are against bloodshed. We support the development, security, stability and
serious and meaningful dialogue".

For the sectors of agriculture and electricity, President Saleh ordered the local
authority to stop the past mistakes in the issuance of licenses indiscriminately for
drilling further water wells which causes the depletion of water for watering
non-food crops, particularly Qat.

The President ordered also the concerned bodies and local authorities in all
provinces of the country to stop the depletion of water and the prohibition of
drilling indiscriminately water wells.

President Saleh said that the capacity of 340 megawatts of Marib electric gas
station would be operated next month for reducing somewhat the problem of the
electricity generation.

"There are no development and no industry without electrical power. Another electric
station will be established at the port of Balhaf in Shabow province to generate
electric power".

The President called on the government to accelerate the implementation of his
directives and support industrial and agricultural projects.