SANA'A: Despite a call for ceasefire by Yemen's Vice-President Abdu Rabbo Mansoor Hadi, new clashes erupted in the southern city of Taiz, killing at least two people. Workers at a field hospital in the city some 200 km (120 miles) south of the capital, Sana'a, said a woman and child died from injuries suffered while trapped in a building hit by artillery fire in the midst of the fighting. Fears are now growing across Yemen that the much-awaited GCC power-transfer proposal could fail since the regime is still reluctant to let go if its grip on power, hindering the opposition's efforts to transition the country smoothly, and that the sound of arms will replace diplomacy. When President Ali Abdallah Saleh signed the power-transfer initiative he agreed to immediately transfer his powers to VP Hadi, making him Yemen's acting president. Following that step, Hadi should have set up within 5 days a Military Committee in charge of restructuring the armed forces and nominated a new coalition government. Nothing has been done so far. Although the opposition and the regime did indeed agreed on a list of ministries, no official announcement has been made as to who would occupy the positions. Prime Minister Mohamed Basendwa is now saying that the process was being delayed because Hadi was yet to create a Military Committee. Political analysts in Yemen agree that it is the Military Committee which will make or break Yemen. Either Saleh and his coterie will agree to surrender their strategic posts within the army and lose their leverage, either the country will plunge into yet more violence as defected General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, Yemen' second most powerful man and Sheikh Sadeeq al-Ahmar, the mighty tribal leader of the Hasheed confederation of tribes put their threats into actions and rain hell on Saleh. Amid further violence in Taiz, sporadic gun fighting and explosions were heard in neighborhoods of the capital under control of the opposition. Residents actually told the press that more tribesmen had been mobilized in recent days and that snipers were on rooftops at all times. BM
