AJA, Welcomes the Resigning Yemeni President

Asia Journalist Association(AJA) welcomes the resigning Yemeni president

Asia Journalist Association (President Ivan Lim) announced a statement to welcome the resignation of the Yemeni President after 33 years in power.

The Association said, “We expect the flames of democratization first started in Tunisia and then moved to Egypt, Libya and even Yemen will only grow higher in other dictatorial countries as well.”

They also added, “Mr Saleh’s resignation is an outcome of the Yemeni people’s bleeding fight and devotion to the democratization of Yemen. We express our deepest respect to their noble sacrifices and we wish Yemen a quick recovery from confusion during the period of transition and smooth power transfer.”

The Association supports all the people of Yemen who eagerly want peace and freedom and they firmly believe that passion and hope for democracy will eventually prevail.

Early this year, the people of Yemen called for Mr Saleh to step down. On 25 April 2011, the Association issued a statement on Yemen with the title ‘No more sacrifices, no more broken promises’ and demanded Mr Saleh’s fulfilment of resignation.

Mr Saleh has been in power since 1978 and in Yemen, demonstrations against him started in last January in the wave of Arab Spring uprisings started in Tunisia.

Mr Saleh has postponed his resignation even after his own announcement of it and more than 1500 Yemenis are believed to be killed by the government crackdown.

Mr Saleh will transfer power to his vice president and will remain as president until the next presidential election. He is the fourth leader to lose power in the democratization of the Middle East.

Below is the full text of the Asia Journalist Association’s statement.

Park so-hye Senior Repoter  fristar@theasian.asia

AJA Statement on Resigning Yemeni President

(24 November 2011, Korea) Asia Journalist Association (President Ivan Lim) welcomes that Yemeni President steps down after 33 years in power.  

Mr Saleh is the fourth leader to quit due to the democratic movements of the Middle East and we expect the flames of democratization first started in Tunisia and then moved to Egypt, Libya and even Yemen will only grow higher in other dictatorial countries as well.

On 25 April 2011, Asia Journalist Association issued a statement on Yemen with the title ‘No more sacrifices, no more broken promises’ and demanded Mr Saleh’s fulfilment of resignation.

At that time, he had already broken his promise once but now, he signed a deal in the Saudi capital, Riyadh seated beside Saudi King. According to the deal brokered by the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and agreed by Yemeni ruling and opposition parties, Mr Saleh will transfer power to his vice president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.   

We believe that Mr Saleh’s resignation is an outcome of the Yemeni people’s bleeding fight and devotion to the democratization of Yemen. We express our deepest respect to their noble sacrifices and we wish Yemen a quick recovery from confusion during the period of transition and smooth power transfer.

Asia Journalist Association supports all the people of Yemen who eagerly want peace and freedom and we firmly believe that passion and hope for democracy will eventually prevail.