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Emerging Democracies Forum
Managing the Twin Transitions
Opening Plenaries
(2 of 29 pages)
Abdul Karim Al-Eryani: Good morning to you and may God's peace and blessings
be upon you from where the Emerging Democracies Forum is taking place we start the meeting. And this forum which
will be convened in Sana'a, Yemen from the 27th to the 30th of June 1999. This very moment we shall begin the proceedings
of our meeting with recitation of verses from the Holy Koran.
[Recitation of Koran]
Abdul karim Al-Eryani: And now, ladies and gentlemen, the President will make a statement on this occasion.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, you have the floor, sir.
Abdullah Saleh: In the name of the compassionate, merciful, ladies and gentlemen, heads of the participating
delegations from friendly countries, international organizations, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished participants.
It gives me great pleasure as we inaugurate proceedings of this international forum on emerging democracies to
welcome you to Yemen, the land of civilization. Council, we are very pleased and proud to have you with us and
would like to express our sincerest thanks and appreciation for the great efforts that have been deployed in the
preparation of this forum by the National Democratic Institute of the U.S.A. and the government of the United States
of America, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Nations, and other international organizations related
to human rights.
We look forward, dear friends, through this forum to consultation and coordination between us and exchange of the
views and experience which will enable us all to have a common view and a common outlook on the ways and means
of ingraining democracy in our respective countries. And to strengthen our cooperation with other countries which
have preceded us along the course of democracy and to make use of that experience. Democracy is the characteristics
of this age and it is the best way to achieve development, growth, stability, and peace.
So that democracy may achieve its aims we must link growth and development for peoples and their economic interests.
Democracy without development will not overcome the great dangers which await us. And while we in our community
are trying to strengthen the ties between democracy and development and coordination among all different countries
and between all countries of the world, and to achieve this to work for the happiness and prosperity of mankind.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is fortunate that the convening of this forum should coincide with the celebration of
the 9th anniversary of the unity of Yemen. The Republic of Yemen, which is coming to the end of the first decade,
and going to go with the rest of the world is proceeding into the 21st century, and believes in dialogue.
The birth of democracy based on political and party pluralism, the freedom of the press, respect of human rights,
and the democracy with which we are being committed to in Yemen, both in our actions and in our deeds, is an achievement
of all the people of Yemen. Dear friends, our country
has achieved its unity on the 22nd of May of 1990 through peaceful, democratic dialogue and through meetings of
leaders of both sides in Cairo and Kuwait. And all these meetings continued in Aden and Iran until an agreement
was concluded on the declaration of the Republic of Yemen, on the 22nd of May 1990. The constitution of the country
of Yemen was endorsed, and we had a national referendum on the constitution. When the first presidential and legislative
elections took place in 1993. We had other elections in 1997 which international observers attended to and where
there was fair play.
Dear friends, the process of democracy in our countries must be linked with development. We cannot have development
without democracy or democracy without development. Democracy shall continue to be threatened unless there is complete
support for developmental programs as we currently see for the democracy. I wish to reiterate my words of welcome
to you and wish you all success. Thank you for your attention.
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