Sana'a (dpa) – Yemen's interim government on Sunday approved a legal proposal to extend amnesty to disputed president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his departing government, according to Al Jazeera broadcaster. The move surprised many in Yemen, where opposition forces have called for Saleh's prosecution in the killing of hundreds of protesters during months of opposition demonstrations. The proposed law, which must be adopted by Parliament, was put forward by Yemen's new national unity government, which includes opposition and loyalist ministers. The law opens the path for the departure of the disputed Saleh, in accordance with a long-standing proposal by the Gulf Cooperation Council to resolve the crisis. Saleh said in November he would depart but only under the condition that he receive amnesty. Saleh is titular president until February 21, when a new president is to be elected. The transitional government was formed in early December with equal weight to Saleh's party and the opposition. The United Nations has called the political transition “precarious.” “It cannot be claimed that the unrest is over,” UN special envoy Jamal Benomar told the UN Security Council in late December. Benomar said al-Qaeda militants had been very active and gained ground in southern Yemen during the popular unrest against Saleh and the political vacuum there. He said the militants “very cleverly” exploited popular grievances against the government because of shortage in electricity and government services. “The development in the south is very worrying,” Benomar told reporters. Saleh is suffering from severe health conditions and needs medical treatment outside his country. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/kuUKE Tags: Amnesty, Saleh Section: Latest News, Yemen
