The story appears on

Page A9

November 24, 2011

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeWorld

Yemen's Ali signs handover deal

YEMENI President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a Gulf initiative yesterday to hand over power to his deputy as part of a proposal to end months of protests that have pushed the Arab country to the brink of civil war.

Saudi state television broadcast live images of Saleh signing the accord in the presence of Saudi King Abdullah and Crown Prince Nayef. Yemeni opposition officials signed the accord after Saleh.

It was the fourth attempt to wrap up a power transfer accord that Saleh backed out of on three previous occasions at the last minute, fuelling turmoil that has bolstered al-Qaida militants next door to Saudi Arabia.

Activists camped in Sanaa are demanding Saleh end his 33-year rule now.

Government troops skirmished with gunmen loyal to an opposition tribal leader in the capital and clashes were reported in the southern city of Taiz.

"The president ... arrived this morning in Riyadh on a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to attend the signing of the Gulf initiative," state news agency Saba reported earlier.

UN envoy Jamal Benomar, with support from US and European diplomats, devised a compromise to implement the power transfer deal crafted by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.

Under the GCC plan, Saleh would shift powers to his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who would form a government with the opposition and call a presidential election within three months.



 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend