almotamar.net - President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Tuesday the draft of constitutional amendments that will be put for dialogue includes many options, among them pure presidential system and a mixed system, confirming, " we will be with the people's opinion."

In his address at the opening session of the symposium on the constitutional amendments the president added that "the essence is in fact to move from the system of the local authority to the system of local rule, which is the more important matter."

At the meeting organised by the University of Aden over two days on the constitutional amendments the president has expressed his regret over demands for representation by intellectuals and asserted that the parliament and the local authority are those that represent the governorates and districts.

In his address the president addressed the students and cadres of Aden University on the subject of the constitutional amendments of which he said they are put for discussion and research and that the initiative would not be compulsory but after it is enriched with discussion and scientific research by all the Yemeni universities and all of the political activities and then put for the people referendum to have their say in acceptance or rejection.

Presid3ent Saleh said," We always call for dialogue because it is the foundation for solving all problems without resorting to other options, other options are dangerous and our people have tried them whether during the period of division or after the reunification and they were difficult options and the sole option is the national dialogue s dictated by the higher national interest."

On the unionist work the president said the dialogue on it began since 1962 or rather after the independence in 1967, adding that the dialogue was continuous on the goal of the Yemeni reunification. He mentioned on dialogues held in meetings in Cairo and Tripoli and Sana'a and Aden and all those dialogues led to 2 May 1990 when the flag of the Yemeni republic was hoisted over the palace of 22 May at al-Tawahi in Aden. The president addressed the meeting," You are the elite defending the unity and the real wealth for the homeland, the human wealth, the wealth of the generation armed with science and knowledge."

On the project of the constitutional amendments and reformation of the political system the president affirmed it is included in the election platform of the president of he republic on 20 of September last year and as part of the peaceful transfer of power and the honest competition and that it is a legitimate right and political option " we have chosen and not imposed on us by anyone."

President Saleh said," We have adopted the political pluralism, there are parties that win in elections and govern and shoulder the responsibility and there are other parties on the opposition side and the opposition does not mean rivalry but programme opposition, the one that presents the better not that which foments for difference and instigating chaos o to foment for stopping the wheel of development, that is an action lacking sense of responsibility."

The president added that despite the experiment of the local authority is no more than six years old was positive but " We say that who represents the nation is the parliament that embraces 301 seats and the government presents its programmed to the parliament that can hold it accountable and accept or reject its programme. So the legislative power is the one representing the nation and as for the government it is an executive apparatus."

"Since we have achieved good successes in the experiment of the local authority let us move to the local rule and there is no need for the some to feel afraid that it would change into a federation or confederation, this is nonsense. Our unity is a full merger one and the aim of that is the expansion of the people's participation and limiting of centralization that we complain of and that is by changing from the local authority to the local rule."

The president clarified that waters and electricity and education would be authorities in the hands of the local rule and called for giving more powers to local authority, adding " elect the governor and head of the district and elect the members of the local council so that to alleviate the suffering from centralization and members of the local councils represent the various areas of the governorates."

The president said the latest decisions are that the ministries of defence and interior, the higher defence council approves conscription the force is divided according to the population census, as a big national establishment representing al of Yemen and it is a safety valve for the unity, freedom and democracy.

Saba