Yemen accepts GCC plan, power transfer pending
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Power transfer is pending in the coming weeks to end the three-month street protests in Yemen after both ruling and opposition camps have accepted the initiative proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh's ruling party said on its website on Saturday that Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has submitted their acceptance during the visit of GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani.
Saleh told his supporters gathering downtown Sanaa on Friday that he welcomed the GCC initiative and would deal with it positively in the framework of the Yemeni constitution.
"We will face the challenge of the opposition and we are keen of not shedding blood and we are keen of not using the firearms," he said.
Tarik al-Shami, a spokesman for Saleh's ruling General people's Congress (GPC), told Xinhua on Friday that "the ruling party welcomed the amended GCC-mediated proposal of transferring power," adding "they will deal with it positively."
Meanwhile, the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP)'s spokesman Mohamed Qahtan said on Saturday the JMP accepted the GCC plan, but disagreed on some items and issues.
"We officially accept it, but we just has objections to an item that the interim government be sworn in in front of Saleh, (and) we suggest the interim government be formed after Saleh's resignation," he said.
GCC Chief al-Zayani arrived in Sanaa on Thursday to consult with Saleh and the opposition on GCC's initiative, which was floated on April 3 and April 10 to end the country's crisis.
Under the GCC plan, the opposition is set to form a joint national government including all parties within seven days, which is headed by the JMP. The interim government will be sworn in in front of Saleh who would then pass power to his deputy in exchange for immunity for him and his family.
Meanwhile, Saleh is set to announce his resignation within 30 days after transferring power to his deputy and a presidential election will be held within 60 days.
On Thursday evening, a senior Yemeni government official told Xinhua that Saleh had accepted the GCC initiative, which stipulated that he announce resignation in 30 days, but his ruling party insisted on keeping Saleh as "the honorary president" for five months after he transferred power.
"The plan proposed Saleh form a joint national government from all political parties, which is headed by the opposition Joint Meeting parties (JMP), then Saleh should move power to his deputy in exchange for immunity for him and his family, which is guaranteed by a law to be approved by parliament and to end opposition-backed street protests and military rebellion," he said.
The JMPs' spokesman Mohamed Qahtan said on Friday that they accepted the GCC plan, but the newly-elected leaders of the youth-led street protesters refused to grant immunity to Saleh or his family members after hundreds of their followers were deliberately killed by Saleh's forces.
Over the past three months, Yemen has witnessed anti-government protests demanding an immediate end to Saleh's 33-year rule, undermining the security and stability of the country.
Saleh has already admitted losing control of several provinces and warned of a civil war and national split if he is forced to step down.
Addressing a crowd of his supporters in Sanaa Saturday, Saleh renewed "his warnings that a civil war could be triggered by the opposition in case of hindering reconciliation," saying "we will not allow the JMP to drag Yemen into a civil war and bloodshed."
Sporadic clashes, marches and civil disobedience were reportedly continuing in the country's major provinces of Aden, Tazi, Ibb, Al-Hodayda, Abyan, Hadramout, Hajja, Saada and the capital Sanaa.
Security officials in Yemen's southern port city of Aden said that at least two anti-government protesters were injured Saturday by the security forces, who tried to prevent the protesters from storming a police station in al-Mansoura district.
Cement barricades were set up along the main roads of Aden province to coincide with a civil disobedience call by some protesters and the separatist Southern Movement, making Aden paralyzed with malls, schools, and government institutions closed, witnesses said.
"If the opposition hindered the Gulf plan, then the GCC foreign ministers, European and U.S. mediators would then suggest a last solution for all Yemeni rival political parties through holding a popular referendum about whether President Saleh to leave immediately or stay in office until his term expires in 2013," an unnamed senior government official said.
The White House said in a statement on Saturday that Washington applauded the announcements by the Yemeni Government and the opposition that they have accepted the GCC-brokered agreement to resolve the political crisis in a peaceful and orderly manner.
It said the United States encouraged all parties to "move swiftly" to implement the power transfer agreement so that the Yemeni people can soon realize "security, unity, and prosperity."
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with his Yemeni counterpart in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi on Saturday. He urged different parties in Yemen to agree on the GCC initiative as an integrated formula to resolve the Yemeni crisis.
Sheikh Abdullah appreciated the response of the Yemeni parties to this initiative, hoping that the response would be complete and quick to help Yemen emerge out of the current difficult situation.
More than 120 demonstrators have been killed in clashes with security forces since late January. There are also fears that the violence could escalate as the majority of the country's 23 million people own guns.
