Global General

Yemen opposition, president reach power deal

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2011-05-19 07:29

SANAA, Yemen - Yemen's president and opposition agreed on Wednesday to sign a Gulf-brokered deal for a transition of power with slight modifications after intervention from US and European diplomats, an opposition official said.

The deal, which the opposition said would be signed later on Wednesday, would ease entrenched President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power within a month after a nearly 33-year rule in the Arabian Peninsula state.

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"After American, European and Gulf efforts, there was agreement by the president on the Gulf initiative after simple changes, and the signing will be today," opposition official Yahya Abu Usbua said.

Al Arabiya television quoted an adviser to the Yemeni president as confirming the signing would take place on Wednesday.

The United States and oil giant Saudi Arabia, both targets of foiled attacks from al-Qaida's Yemen wing, are keen to see an end to Yemen's political stalemate, fearing continued chaos could give the militant group more room to operate freely.

Abdullatif al-Zayani, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has been in the capital Sanaa since Saturday trying to revive the GCC-brokered deal that Qatar, one of its six members, backed out of, citing delays and a "lack of wisdom".

Saleh, a shrewd political survivor who has outlasted previous opponents' attempts to challenge his power, indicated in April he would sign the Gulf deal, but refused to put his name to it in the final hours.

He said at the time he would only sign in his capacity as ruling party leader, not as president.

Reuters