Saleh of Yemen may close in exchange for immunity, says official

April 24, 2011, 4: 41 am EDT by Mohammed Hatem and Glen Carey

(Updates with comment fifth and seventh paragraphs.) See the EXTRA and places to learn more about regional unrest).

April 24 (Bloomberg) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has accepted a plan negotiated in the Council of the Gulf Cooperation that allows it to relinquish power in exchange for immunity, a government official said.Saleh would transfer power to a Deputy Minister within 30 days and hold elections 60 days after that this, Tarik al-Shami, spokesman general decision of the Congress of the people, said in a telephone interview yesterday. The opposition must put an end to demonstrations and accept immunity for Saleh and his assistants and all of the terms of the GCC plan, said al - Shami .the GCC officials seek to avoid an escalation of violence in the country, or a military fatal gap like in Libya. Growing social unrest also threatens to strengthen al-Qaeda seeks to use the Yemen, the poor Arab nation, as a base to destabilize the neighbor Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter of crude oil.Saleh would be the third leader forced from Office since popular unrest spreading across the Middle East, this led to the overthrow Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia.Police and snipers killed 46 demonstrators in Sanaa, the capital, last month, which prompted several military and Government officials to abandon the system of Saleh. A total of 109 demonstrators have been killed since February 11, according to Majed al-Madhaji, Arab sisters Forum spokesperson for the human rights of the Sana ' A.Longtemps "it is possible that Saleh is manoeuvring," Theodore KarasikDirector of research at the Institute based in Dubai for the Middle East and the military analysis of the Gulf, said today in a telephone interview. "The more time that it gets the better it is for himself and his followers.". Thirty days is long in Yemeni politics and it is likely to be more disputes. "The United Arab Emirates United, Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan urged all parties to the Yemen to accept the plan of the CCG at a meeting yesterday with his Yemeni counterpart, Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, said Emirates News Agency. The GCC "keeps on stability and unity of the Yemen," Sheikh Abdullah was quoted as saying by the press service.The plan of the Yemen Council could "solve the political crisis in a peaceful and orderly manner," the Obama administration yesterday said in a statement by the White House email. "We encourage all parties to act quickly to implement the terms of the agreement", said the statement.Protest against RightsA weak central Government in the risk Yemen also mirroring the situation in Somalia, across the Gulf of Aden, there where it has not been an administration works since 1991. Somalia became a breeding ground for pirates who attack shipping lanes.The Parties of the joint meeting, a coalition of six opposition groups, also accepted the plan of the CCG. They would not participate in a Government of national unity Saleh during the 30 days it will remain in power, said Mohammed al-Sabri, a leader in the opposition. They also support the right to protest. "When they said that the ruling party has accepted the plan, it was clear that he has accepted as Saleh is the President of the party,"said ruling party al-Shami. The party him Secretary General Abdel Latif al-Zayyani that he has approved the plan, said.Civil war RiskSaleh meeting with al-Zayyani April 21 to resolve the crisis. The Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates United, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, held separate meetings this month with representatives of the General Congress of the people and the opposition.Saleh said yesterday that the opposition was pushing the country of the Arabian Peninsula toward civil war. "They want to drag the area of civil war and we refuse to be moved to the civil war, Saleh said in a speech to the military and students, the official Saba press service. He said power should change "at the ballot box and not by a coup," and those who want power "should be brave and to call for early elections if presidential or parliamentary elections," according to Saba.Protests continued yesterday in the city of Taizwhere the crowds demanded the end of the rule of the Saleh, Rashad Mohammed, an eyewitness, said by telephone. The majority of the stores of the city was closed for a general strike, he said. In Aden, more than 90 percent of shops, schools and businesses were closed on Saturday, said Marwan al-Yafee, an eyewitness.

-With the help of Todd Shields in Washington. Editors: Andrew j. Barden, Paul Armstrong

To contact the reporters on this story: Mohammed Hatem to Sana ' A-mhatem1@bloomberg.net. Glen Carey in Riyadh at the gcarey8@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew j. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

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