France welcomes Yemeni elections

The French government on Thursday said it welcomed the holding of the presidential ballot in Yemen earlier this week and said it was \"an important step\" in peaceful transition in that country. After a year of unrest and bloody clashes between supporters and opponents of President Ali Abdallah Saleh, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) helped broker a deal that provided for Saleh\'s departure and immunity after more than three decades in power. \"The elections is a new step in the peaceful and orderly transition undertaken in Yemen on the basis of the initiative of the Gulf Cooperation Council States, which was agreed by the Yemeni parties and supported by the (UN) Security Council,\" the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. France \"expresses its congratulation, its support and confidence in Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi,\" who was former deputy leader and the only candidate in this week\'s ballot. \"It is important now that all parties show they are capable of reaching the aspirations for change...by contributing in a responsible, constructive and peaceful manner to the success of the democratic process,\" the statement added, urging Yemenis to work for unity and prosperity.