MUKALLA, Hadhramout, Oct. 17 (Saba)- President Ali Abdullah Saleh held on Tuesday in Hadhramout Governorate Iftar banquet on occasion of holy month of Ramadan and the 43rd anniversary of 14th October Revolution.

The ceremony was attended by officials from Hadhramout Governorate, scholars, businessmen, members of Parliament, Shura Council and local councils as well as social figures and representatives of the non-governmental organizations.
President Saleh delivered a speech in which he congratulated citizens of Hadhramout on success of presidential and local elections. He pointed out to achievements realized since unification in 1990.
He said that it was so difficult before unification for people to accept criticism, but now they accept it. He said that the coming period will witness further progress in development process in the nation. He called on all to gather their efforts to build the nation
and reject all disputes. "We have big duty in combating poverty and corruption," Saleh said. He expressed hope that the government started to tackle unjustified rise in prices of food and clothes.
He also called on local councils to draw plans to carry out what they promised in their electoral platforms, asking them to avoid all negative things of past. He also urged all governmental authorities to accelerate and pay further efforts in the implementation of the administrative andfinancial reforms and to combat poverty and corruption. He added that the government is entirely responsible for the implementation of administrative and financial reforms and combating poverty and corruption.