[08 October 2007]

SANA'A, (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said that the constitutional amendments are among his electoral program presented in recent presidential election last September, 2006.

In an interview with Al Jazeera satellite channel, broadcast on Sunday, President Saleh said that these amendments are open far all parties, civil society organizations, local authority and parliament for dialogue .

''At the end, we will adopt opinion of the majority over these amendments," Saleh said.

The amendments also include changing many articles in the constitution to give further authorizations for local authority, he added, asking for a position by the opposition in relation to these amendments.

"The opposition presented their program to the people last election and they only got
21% while our program got 77%, and we are responsible in front of the nation to do our commitments stated in our electoral platform."

President pointed out to achievements of implementing the program, especially in fighting corruption.

Asked about efforts of ending rebellion in Saada, President Saleh said that the military forces suspended operations to give a chance for Qatari efforts to convince Houthis to carry out Saada agreement.

"No further dialogue with rebels and we just want to execute terms of the agreement," he said.

As for Yemen's ties with Iran and Libya, he made it clear that relations between Yemen and Iran and Libya has been reactivated and Yemeni ambassadors to the two countries are in their positions again.

Moreover, President denied any crisis between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, saying that the delaying of the meeting of Yemeni-Saudi Coordination Council was due to response to request from the Saudi side as they are hectic with receiving pilgrims and that the meeting was delayed until mid of October.

AH/AM

Saba