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UN chief urges political reform in Yemen

12 October 2011 03:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to ensure immediate political reform in his country, APA reports.

Developments in Yemen remain a source of deep concern to the international community, Ban told a press conference in Copenhagen.

"What is important at this time is that President Saleh should make immediate, decisive political reforms so that people can live without fear of oppression and there must be full protection of human rights," Ban said.

The comments came in response to reporters’ questions about the UN’s view of developments in Yemen, after Saleh’s Saturday announcement that he would soon give up power.

"I reject power and I will continue to reject it, and I will be leaving power in the coming days," Saleh said in a speech broadcast on state television.

In recent months, Yemen has witnessed sustained, popular and widespread demonstrations calling for Saleh, who has held power for 33 years in the country in the Arabian Peninsula, to step down.

Saleh has promised on three occasions this year to step down after a transition of power.

Ban said: "While I am not in a position to judge what will happen, whether he (Saleh) will keep his words, that we will have to watch."

Ban is on a four-day working visit to Norway, Denmark and Sweden, which ends Wednesday.

During his visit in Denmark, Ban attended the Global Green Growth Forum and met Queen Margrethe II and Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt.