DUBAI: Yemen's embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh has reportedly accepted a deal sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council to step down as the country's leader. The agreement, however, has enraged protesters, who demand that Saleh not be given immunity from prosecution over crimes he has committed during his three decades rule. Upon the announcement of his abdication and immunity from prosecution, large numbers of protesters took to the streets of the capital, Sanaa, on Sunday in a show of unity against the deal. The protests then spread to 14 provinces, according to witnesses and journalists on the ground. Witnesses reported hundreds of thousands of protesters in Sanaa alone. On Saturday, Yemeni officials said the country's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, had accepted a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council under which he would step down. Both Saleh and the Yemeni opposition have agreed to the deal in principle. But Saleh has yet to sign the agreement, which stipulates he leave office within 30 days and provides complete immunity for him and those who served in his regime, said a senior foreign ministry official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. The agreement also calls for a unity government to be formed within seven days. Yaseen Noman, president of Yemen's largest opposition group, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) bloc, told journalists Saturday that members accepted the GCC proposal but had two comments — they did not want to participate in a unified government, and they cannot force protesters to go home. The Organizing Committee of the Youth Revolution denounced the proposal in a written statement Sunday. “We the youth of revolution reject any proposal that does not hold Saleh accountable for the killing over 140 revolution protesters,” the committee said. The group also said it rejected the GCC proposal because it did not call for an immediate ouster of Saleh. The committee also said the GCC effort came to save the regime — not to help the people. It is still unclear when, or if, Saleh will be removed from power and what the future of his status will be. Activists have been demanding his removal since February, but he has remained obstinate in the face of widespread protests. BM
