SAN’A, JUNE 24, SPA -- YEMENI PRESIDENT ALI ABDULLAH SALEH DECLARED SATURDAY THAT HE INTENDED TO RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM IN SEPTEMBER’S PRESIDENTIAL POLLS, SAYING THAT HE HAD CAVED IN TO POPULAR PRESSURE TO REVERSE HIS DECISION OF LAST YEAR. SALEH, WHO HAS RULED SINCE 1978, SAID LAST JULY THAT HEWOULD NOT SEEK ANOTHER SEVEN-YEAR MANDATE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO OPEN THE WAY FOR THE PEACEFUL ROTATION OF POWER. «I COMPLY WITH THE PEOPLE’S PRESSURE AND UPON THEPEOPLE’S DESIRE, I WILL IN RUN FOR THE COMING POLLS,» SALEHTOLD TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CHEERING SUPPORTERS IN SAN’AGATHERED OUTSIDE THE STADIUM WHERE HIS PARTY WAS HOLDING A CONFERENCE TO NOMINATE ITS CANDIDATE FOR THE POLLS. THE GENERAL CONGRESS PARTY EXTENDED ITS CONFERENCE TO SATURDAY HAVING FAILED ON THURSDAY, THE OPENING DAY, TO NOMINATE A CANDIDATE. THROUGHOUT THE CONFERENCE HIS PARTY HAD PRESSED HIM TO BACK DOWN ON HIS EARLIER DECISION. EARLIER IN HIS SPEECH SATURDAY SALEH MENTIONED WHAT HE SAID WERE «THE CHANTS, STATEMENTS, MESSAGES, POEMS AND CALLS BY THE SCHOLARS, INTELLECTUALS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND POLITICAL PARTIES» URGING HIM TO RUN. SALEH RULED FIRST AS PRESIDENT OF NORTH YEMEN AND THEN AS HEAD OF THE UNIFIED STATE AFTER THE MAY 1990 MERGER OF NORTH AND SOUTH. --SPA 24/06/2006 11:23 ت م www.spa.gov.sa/370824