Yemen president quits after deal in Saudi Arabia

[CJCRANE]

Source: Guardian UK

After nine months of mass protests calling for his resignation, Ali Abdullah Saleh has signed an agreement in Saudi Arabia transferring his powers to the vice president in return for immunity from prosecution.

With the economy on the verge of collapse and bloody clashes breaking out between armed factions of the military, Yemenis are hoping the agreement will offer a way out of the ten-month long turmoil that has left hundreds dead and the country teetering on the brink of civil war.

Saudi state television showed a smiling Saleh sitting next to Saudi King Abdullah in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Wednesday as he signed four copies of the proposal. He then clapped briefly before speaking for a few minutes to members of the Saudi royal families and international diplomats, promising to cooperate with the new Yemeni government.

"This disagreement for the last 10 months has had a big impact on Yemen in the realms of culture, development, politics, which led to a threat to national unity and destroyed what has been built in past years," he said.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/23/yemen-president-quits

[tabatha]

1. At last.

[bemildred]

3. I hope you are right. nt

[Angry Dragon]

2. 'in return for immunity from prosecution.'

did the people of Yemen sign the deal??

World Wide Get Out of Jail Free Card for the rich and powerful

[alp227]

8. And in the US Nixon resigned, and the next president gave Nixon immunity!

[Alamuti Lotus]

4. status quo maintained, with a blank slate for the past

Saudi counter-revolutionary efforts triumph; not cause for celebration.

[bemildred]

5. Has anybody else signed this, or is it just him so far?

What if nobody pays any attention to this agreement?

[CJCRANE]

6. It's his resignation letter as President.

I assume no one else needs to sign it. Once it comes into effect then the VP becomes President.

On edit: although there is the immunity clause...that might need a co-signer...

[bemildred]

7. That's what I mean, just because he hands the job off, that does not mean the war is over. nt

[bemildred]

9. Yemeni opposition to nominate national council chairman to form gov't

SANAA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni opposition parties agreed on Friday to nominate National Council's chairman Mohamed Basindwa to form a new government.

The agreement was reached two days after President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a Gulf-brokered power transfer deal.

"The executive board of the Opposition National Council (ONC) would like to nominate Mohamed Basindwa to form the new opposition-led consensus government with the ruling party," the opposition's website "Almasdaronline" reported.

But other opposition sources said the final nomination of Basindwa has yet to be approved.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-11/26/c_131270993.htm