SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

27 of February School, 19/05/2004 (SPS) - The 5th congress of the General Union of the Workers of Saguia El Hamra et Rio de Oro (UGTSARIO) opened its works, Wedensday, in the 27 of February School under the chairmanship of the Head of the State,Mohamed Abdelaziz and with the presence of members of the Saharawi political leadership and an important number of guests.

From the 29 to the 21st May, the congress of martyr ''Lemen Mohamed Chaibine'', is expected to debate over the report presented by the organisation's Secretariat on the results of the last five years and to elect a new leadership.

Many trade unions from Europe, Africa, and Latino America took part to these meetings held under the theme ''struggle and solidarity for independence and developpement''.

The opening session was devoted to the election of the presidency of the congress chaired by Abba El Haissan, President of the Union of Saharawi Jurists, and composed of five members. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 191258 May 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/WORKERS/CONGRESS
The President of the Republic calls Saharawi workers to more sacrefices to get independence

27 of February School,19/05/2004 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelziz, called Saharawi workers around the world, to ''more sacrefices and abnegation'' to snatch the national independence, putting forward the courage of Saharawi workers under occupation, who "are daily facing the Moroccan repressive system''.

Intervening Wednesday in front of the General Union of the Workers of Saguia El Hamra and Rio de Oro, (UGTSARIO), Mr Abdelaziz estimated that these meetings should define the best ways to ''materialise our goals, snatch independence and achieve the edification of the basis of the future Saharawi independent State''.

He denounced ''the systematic practice of brutal repression against our population without defence in occupied zones and South Morocco'', submitted during decades ''to arbetrary detention, kidnappings, iniquitous trials, tortures and intimidations''.

He paid a deserved tribute to these women and men who ''braved all these barbarous ways of repression'', in a territory ''submitted to the state of siege during decades''.

Recalling the participants of the main stages of the referendum process which brought the cease-fire to enforcement, the President of the Republic underlined that Morocco had always resorted to intransigence, rushing ahead and maneuvred to delay the process.

In this respect, he underlined that despite of the risks it contains ''the Plan for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara", presented by Baker, was accepted by Polisario Front while Morocco, backed by France, tries to deform it.

''Morocco is accountable for this intransigence'', said the President of the Republic, calling the international community to ''assume its responsibility by imposing the enforcement of UN's resolutions and by allowing Saharawi people to exercice their right to self-determination with all required freedom, democracy and transparence and henceforth to put an end to the decolonisation process of the last colonised territory in our continent''.

He further renewed his country's readiness to continue cooperating with the UN and with its Special Envoy towards ''the enforcement of the Plan for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara", underlining, however, that he ''completely reject(s) any approach or solution which is not based on the principle of self-determination, conforming to UN's Chart''.

The President of the Republic finally expressed his gratitude to ''the international mouvement of solidarity with the Saharawi cause'' in Africa, Latin America, the United States, Australia, Europe particularly in Spain, hoping that Zapatero's Government ''be active in a supporting position to a free, regular and transparent referendum as its historical responsability requires from it and following its quality as a member in the Security Council''. (SPS)

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