Nabil Abdulrab almotamar.net - Candidate of the General People’s Congress (GPC) to presidential elections Ali Abdullah Saleh has Wednesday been sworn in before the Yemeni parliament for a new presidency term. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by all parliamentary blocs including those representing the opposition Joint Meeting Parties that two days before hinted to possibility of boycotting the swearing-in ceremony.

After taking oath of office, president Saleh affirmed in a speech he delivered before the parliament he would implement his platform, directing the government to draw up detailed programs and effecting changes in the light of evaluation of the state institutions performance in the way purging them from corruption, the corrupt and the influential. The president promised to increase activation of the role of the legislative power, and the central apparatus for audit and accountability, indicating at the same time that corruption is an integrated system not confined to administrative aspects but rather the political aspects as well.

The president added that one of the priorities of his new term is the achievement of agricultural and industrial progress, fighting poverty, creation of job opportunities for the unemployed, implementation of many housing projects for those of limited income and expansion in the social safety net. Among other priorities the president said will include encouragement of local, Arab and foreign investment, indicating to promises of Gulf States and donor countries for helping Yemen in the development. Fighting poverty and unemployment, and fighting terror and consolidation of security and stability.

Saleh has also called on other political forces to open a new chapter away from rancor, emphasizing that president of the republic is not president of a certain party and that he considers all without discrimination.
The president thanked the Yemeni people, inside Yemen and abroad, for granting him the confidence for preserving the revolution, the republic, the unity, and security and stability. He also thanked the Supreme Commission for Election and Referendum and its sub-committees, security men and the military that helped success the democratic festivity on Wednesday the 20th of September.

Deputy speaker of the parliament Dr Abdulwahab Mahmoud had earlier given a speech praising success of the electoral process which effected a qualitative transfer of democracy-related awareness among the Yemeni masses, adding that democracy in the country has traversed a long distance despite of its short-aged pluralism and has become a genuine right of the Yemenis rights. Dr Mahmoud stressed the importance of evaluating the experiment to avoid repetition of some mistakes that overshadowed the recent electoral campaigns. He said the parliament will be the best help to the president in achieving the tasks of completing the building of the Yemeni modern state.

The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by deputy chairman of the parliament presidency Yahya al-Raei, head and members of the Judiciary Higher Council, the vice-president of the republic Abd Rabeh Mansour Hadi, head and members of the government, chairman and members of the Shoura Council, chairman and members of parties committee, political parties secretaries general, advisors to the president of the republic. Army and security commanders and a number of sisterly and friendly countries ambassadors to Sana’a.