UNSC welcomes presidential election in Yemen

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council said in a press statement here Wednesday that it welcomes the February 21 presidential election held in Yemen.

"The members of the Security Council welcomed the holding of the presidential election on 21 February," said the statement issued by the council's president for the month of February, Kodjo Menan, permanent representative of Togo to the UN.

"They congratulated the people of Yemen for the overall peaceful manner in which the elections were held and the encouraging levels of participation," noted the statement.

The presidential elections were held to replace former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who stepped down from his position in November 2011 due to violent protests and uprisings in Yemen against his regime.

Yemen is committed to a political transition plan put forth by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that sets out a path to reform.

In the statement, the council members underlined the election as "a significant step in the implementation of the political transition plan agreed to by Yemen's major political parties, based on the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative."

The Security Council encouraged all stakeholders in Yemen to work together for the next stage of transition to achieve unity and security in Yemen, including "the fully inclusive national dialogue, the constitutional review, and the program of reforms to tackle the profound security, humanitarian, and economic challenges that Yemen faces."