Gulf bloc calls on Yemen's ruler to step down

Gulf bloc calls on Yemen's ruler to step down

By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI, Associated Press Abdullah Al-shihri, Associated Press – 4 mins ago

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – A Gulf diplomat says the regional bloc representing the oil-rich countries has asked Yemen's ruler to transfer his powers to his vice president — effectively a call for him to step down.

The Gulf Cooperation Council had offered to mediate between President Ali Abdullah Saleh and opponents demanding that he give up power. Members met on Sunday in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

The diplomat, who requested anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity, said Sunday that the GCC offered a plan that would have Saleh resign and be offered immunity from prosecution.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters seeking the ouster of Yemen's president marched in the capital on Sunday, as the region's foreign ministers reviewed troubled efforts to negotiate the terms of his resignation.

Sunday's protest in Sanaa came a day after renewed clashes between demonstrators and security forces there. Witnesses said police fired a barrage of tear gas late Saturday and that many demonstrators suffered breathing problems.

Embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, once a key U.S. ally in the war against the al-Qaida terror network, has tried to cling to power despite two months of near-daily protests calling for his resignation.

Last week, he rejected a mediation offer by the Gulf Cooperation Council, saying the six-nation group was meddling in Yemen's affairs. The council had invited Saleh and Yemen's opposition groups to Saudi Arabia for talks on a proposal that the president hand over power to his deputy in return for immunity from prosecution for him and his family.

Foreign ministers of GCC member states arrived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Sunday to review mediation efforts. On Saturday, a senior adviser to Saleh met in Riyadh with the Saudi foreign minister, a sign that negotiations are continuing.

The council consists of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

In rejecting the initial mediation offer, Saleh appeared to have been particularly ruffled by a comment by Qatar's prime minister last week that "we hope to reach an agreement that includes the resignation" of Saleh.

Saleh has offered to step down at the end of this year if an acceptable transfer of power is reached, but the opposition fears he is just stalling for time.

Anti-government protests inspired by popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt erupted in Yemen in early February, and more than 120 people have been killed since then in clashes between protesters and security forces.

On Sunday, demonstrators in Sanaa initially planned to march to the United Nations mission, which is not far from the presidential palace. However, they stopped short, fearing a violent government response and eventually returned to their base outside Sanaa's university.

The southern port city of Aden was paralyzed for a second day Sunday, with government offices, schools and shops closed as residents responded to the opposition's call for civil disobedience.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands held rallies across the country. In Sanaa and the southern city of Taiz, protests turned violent and the director of a field hospital in Taiz said 580 people were injured Saturday.



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