Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, Deputy leader of the General People's Congress party of Yemen, said that July 17, 1978, when the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh assumed power in the Yemen Arab Republic, represents a dear national memory in the conscience of the people and a pivotal moment in the history of contemporary Yemen.
He pointed out that day was shadowed by difficult and dangerous challenges that Yemen experienced at the time, as advancing to the presidency represented a risky challenge after the country witnessed conflicts, coups, and the assassination of two of its presidents amid extremely complex local, regional, and international circumstances.
Ahmed Ali pointed out that the late president succeeded in just a few years in enabling Yemen to overcome many difficulties and achieve a distinguished start on various political, security, economic and developmental levels.
On the political front, the late president succeeded in establishing the General People's Congress party as an incubator for the country's various political forces.
He also succeeded in building strong, advanced armed and security forces with a broad, institutionalized national vision that embraced all citizens without exception, the realities of the situation, and the needs of the future, far removed from all forms of clique, sectarianism, regionalism, or chaos and instability.
During the era of the late president, Ahmed Ali said Yemen witnessed a phase of construction, development and progress on various levels, most notably strengthening the building of state institutions, imposing its sovereignty over various parts of the country, and creating a suitable environment for comprehensive development.
He added that the late president also succeeded in extracting and exporting oil and natural gas, paving roads, building schools, institutes, universities, hospitals and dams, and developing ports and airports, thus achieving development that encompassed all of Yemen.
During the era of the late president, unity was achieved on May 22, 1990 between the two parts of the Yemeni homeland, and border disputes with neighboring countries were resolved through dialogue and understanding.
He also succeeded in establishing the closest advanced relations and cooperation between Yemen and its neighboring countries and friendly countries of the world on the basis of mutual respect, cooperation and common interests.
During the late president's reign, Ahmed Ali said that Yemen witnessed numerous free elections—presidential, parliamentary, and local—and the establishment of numerous democratic platforms through which the people freely expressed their opinions, without restrictions other than those of the law.
Ahmed Ali renewed his pledge to the Yemeni people that he and the General People's Congress party would remain on the path of the late president, faithful to his heritage, values and principles, inspired by his struggle and stances, and defending everything that protects the interests of Yemen and the Yemeni people and achieves their aspirations.