President Saleh urges Yemenis to take part in the elections

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has urged the Yemeni citizens to take part in presidential the elections to be held on September 23.

In a speech he delivered in the coastal city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea in front of tens of thousands of citizens, the Yemeni president said, "I invite you to cast your votes for the one you want and to strongly practice this democratic right."

The Yemeni president also warned citizens against being subjected to pressure aimed at influencing their votes or pushing them to boycott the first general presidential elections organized in the country.