DUBAI – Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh have signed a Gulf initiative 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 Mr Saleh signing the accord in the presence of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Nayef.
Yemeni opposition officials signed the accord after Mr Saleh.
It was the fourth attempt to wrap up a power transfer accord that Mr Saleh backed out of on three previous occasions at the last minute, fuelling turmoil that has bolstered al-Qaeda militants next door to Saudi Arabia, the world’s number one oil producer.
Activists who have camped in central Sanaa have demanded Mr Saleh end his 33 years of rule now.
Government troops were involved in a skirmish with gunmen loyal to a powerful opposition tribal leader in the capital and some 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, following an invitation from the Saudi leadership, to attend the signing of the Gulf initiative and its operational mechanism,” state news agency Saba reported earlier.
UN envoy Jamal Benomar, with support from US and European diplomats, managed to devise a compromise to implement the power transfer deal crafted by the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.
Under the Gulf Co-operation Council’s plan, Mr Saleh will shift all his powers to his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who would form a new government with the opposition and call for an early presidential election within three months.
Months of protests have rekindled conflicts with Yemen’s Islamist militants and separatists, threatening anarchy in a country Washington regards as a front line against al-Qaeda.
The unrest has also raised fears of civil war on the borders of Saudi Arabia, a crucial strategic ally of the United States.
The fears are shared by Mr Saleh’s erstwhile US allies, who had long backed him in their fight against al-Qaeda. – (Reuters)