almotamar.net - On the first anniversary of the presidential and; local elections on 20 September 2006 President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday gave a statement to the Yemeni news agency Saba saying this historic day of the 20 September, the first anniversary of the presidential and local elections, " I hail the massed of our people who have made of this day a most prominent in the course of democratic changes our country has seen since we have adopted pluralist democracy as associate of the blessed unity since its achievement on 22 May 1990. Therefore the 20th of September will remain representing a new fact and luminous point in the history of the Yemeni democratic experiment and a real embodiment of the development it reached and pioneering in democratic practice. Our people have spelled their decisive word and granted their confidence to those who deserve it and expressed their free will via the ballot boxes in competitive and transparent elections all have witnessed."

The president maintained that <" The General People's Congress and parties of the Joint Meting have contested in addition to the opposition parties of the National Council and the independent. All competed to gain confidence of the electorate. "

President Saleh added in his statement to Saba < " The democracy we have chosen with national conviction and it is based on pluralism, freedom, large popular participation, the woman participation, respect of human rights and the principle of peaceful transfer of power and this democracy will be for us the civilized choice from which we will not deviate what ever were the violations by some who regretfully misunderstand democracy and practice it with wrong logic and irresponsible."

The president added "As we have said many times we will cure mistakes of democracy by more democracy and we call on all in then homeland, individuals and parties and organisations of civil society to practice democracy with a spirit of the national responsibility making it a means for construction, development and making progress in the homeland and to spread the values of dialogue and fraternity and love, it should be a means for abandoning all forms of fanaticism, division and hatred in the society. Dialogue remains to be the essence for settling all issues and problems the society is suffering rather than instigating chaos and wrangles across the media. We also confirm that the government has to go ahead in its efforts of implementing what is contained in the election programme of the president of the republic of which much has been realized so far. The goal is to continue the march of development and reform and upgrading the life of the people at various levels. The future is promising and we pray for God in this holy month that steps of all will be success for the good of the homeland and its prosperity. "