Yemen’s opposition on Saturday told embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to hand over power to his deputy and end his three-decade grip on power after a deadly crackdown on anti-regime protests.
In a new “vision for a peaceful and secure transition of power,” the Common Forum of opposition parties and their allies urged Saleh “to announce his resignation, so that his powers pass to his deputy,” a statement said.
Yemeni Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who is from the southern province of Abyan, is a member of Saleh’s ruling party, the General People’s Congress.
It was the first time the opposition presented a proposal concerning its vision for the transition of power, which it has been demanding since anti-Saleh protests broke out in late January.
The “temporary president” would then embark on revamping security apparatuses, the backbone of Saleh’s regime, including the “National Security, State Security and the Presidential Guard,” which would be controlled by the interior and defense ministries, the statement said.
“An agreement would be reached with the temporary president on the form of power during the transitional period, based on national consensus,” it said.
It stipulated, however, the formation of a transitional national council, beginning a wide-reaching national dialogue and forming a committee of specialists to draft constitutional reforms.
The opposition also demanded the establishment of temporary national unity government led by the opposition and encompassing “all political parties, [demonstrating] youth and businessmen.”
It also demanded a temporary military council be set up from “officers known for their competence and integrity, and who are respected in the army.”
The opposition also demanded the formation of a high electoral commission tasked with holding a referendum on constitutional reforms, and parliamentary and presidential elections.
In addition, the opposition stressed the “right for peaceful expression, demonstrations and sit-ins for all the people of Yemen,” demanding a probe into attacks on protesters, especially the massacres in Aden, Sana’a and Abyan, and other cases where live bullets and tear gas were used.
It said those responsible for the attacks on demonstrators “should be tried, while those wounded and disabled, and the families of martyrs should be compensated.”
Saleh had previously offered to step down before his term runs out in 2013, but he has since hardened his stance following a massive pro-regime rally on March 25.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was