Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh resisted international and regional pressure again on Sunday by refusing to sign an accord that would have him step down in a month, amid the wave of unrest that has spread throughout the country.
Saleh did not sign the deal and said the agreement, which is backed by the Gulf Cooperation Council and supported by the United States, did not meet the necessary criteria that has a “framework of transparency and openness,” said state-run SABA news.
Even though Saleh’s ruling party signed the deal, the longtime leader outlined new requirements that needed to be met before he would sign it. He said that opposition leaders also need to sign it in his presence, reported state-run media.
The GGC said that they have “decided to suspend their initiative in the absence of the propitious conditions,” according to a statement according to AFP. It added that Saleh should soon sign the deal before unrest and protests in the country take a turn for the worst.
This comes after Saleh said on Friday that he wants an early presidential election after more than three months of deadly protests and crackdowns by security forces.
Saleh did not sign the deal and said the agreement, which is backed by the Gulf Cooperation Council and supported by the United States, did not meet the necessary criteria that has a “framework of transparency and openness,” said state-run SABA news.
Even though Saleh’s ruling party signed the deal, the longtime leader outlined new requirements that needed to be met before he would sign it. He said that opposition leaders also need to sign it in his presence, reported state-run media.
The GGC said that they have “decided to suspend their initiative in the absence of the propitious conditions,” according to a statement according to AFP. It added that Saleh should soon sign the deal before unrest and protests in the country take a turn for the worst.
This comes after Saleh said on Friday that he wants an early presidential election after more than three months of deadly protests and crackdowns by security forces.
