SANA'A: In an incredible turn of event, the opposition announced on Monday that it had come to an agreement with President Saleh in regards to a power-transfer deal. Amidst more nationwide protests and renewed calls for a cancellation of the GCC proposal which provisions an immunity clause against a peaceful transfer of power, it seems that against all odds the regime is ready to step down. However since Saleh has already backed down 3 times on a deal, one is allowed to remain skeptical until the president truly inks the proposal and actually implements it. Mohamed Basendwa, the leader of the National Yemeni Council for the Revolution revealed that the deal was to be signed as early as Tuesday, putting an end to 11 months of popular uprising. “Everything has been agreed upon, and the president is supposed to sign the Gulf initiative tomorrow (Tuesday). The opposition and the vice president will also sign the operational mechanism,” Basendwa told the press. Only a week before a scheduled UNSC session regarding Yemen, President Saleh seems to be bowing down to pressure, despite having claimed only a day ago that he would hand the power to the military, if ever, threatening the revolutionary forces of severe reprisals of they'd continued their attack on his positions. Europeans diplomats and other foreign officials will certainly breathe a sigh of relief if indeed everything goes to plan. Under the agreement, Ali Abdullah Saleh will remain as the country's official president although without any real powers. As for the famous “military dossier” upon which Saleh had serious reservations since it meant for his nephews and sons to abandon their leading positions, a compromise was reach. From now on a Military Committee headed by VP Hadi will oversee all operations. Moreover, the ruling party announced that Saleh as President of the Republic of Yemen would retain the following powers: * The implementation of the GCC initiative * The nomination of a new government * The calling for presidential election “He will remain the constitutional president and will also be the head of the General People's Congress,” said a president loyalist. It remains to see whether revolutionaries will welcome the agreement or reject it since immunity is still very much an inherent part of the deal. BM
