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Yemen's Saleh, opposition agree to sign power transfer deal

Xinhua, November 22, 2011

• The Yemeni ruling party and opposition leaders said Monday the two sides agreed to sign a UN- mediated Gulf initiative on Tuesday to transfer power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy, which will end the 10- month-long unrest.

  "President Saleh finally agreed to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative after four-day negotiations mediated by visiting UN envoy Jamal bin Omar," Mohamed Salim Basindwa, chairman of the opposition National Council, told Xinhua.

  "The compromise included reaching a mechanism deal to implement the GCC initiative. The two sides will sign the two deals on Tuesday, Nov. 22," he added.

  According to Basindwa, "Saleh will retain his post until early elections are held, but the power will be moved to Hadi."

  The progress was also confirmed by the ruling party's representative Sultan al-Barakani who said the mechanism deal and the GCC initiative "will be signed tomorrow (Tuesday)."

  Meanwhile, Abdul Janadi, deputy information minister and government spokesman, told Xinhua that the GCC deal would be signed in the coming days, not Tuesday exactly.

  The Yemeni parties have already agreed on the establishment of a mechanism to implement the GCC deal despite small differences, he said.

  The GCC initiative stipulates Saleh to hand over power to his deputy Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and resign in 30 days in return for immunity from prosecution. Hadi would then form an opposition-led national government and arrange presidential elections in 60 days.

  Saleh has backed out of signing the deal for three times in the last minutes.

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