Yemeni VP warns of "hunger revolution" if all sides fail to reach power transfer deal

Source: 13/11/2011

SANAA- Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi warned on Saturday that a "hunger revolution" is looming in his impoverished country if all sides fail to finalize a UN-backed power transition deal to end long-running unrest.

Hadi made the warning in a meeting here with visiting UN envoy to Yemen Jamal bin Omar and ambassadors of the permanent member countries of the UN Security Council to Yemen, the state-run Saba news agency reported.

"We fear that a hunger revolution will ensue from the 10-month- long political impasse if the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative is not finalized soon as many civilians without affiliating with any political parties were the most affected in the various aspects of life," Hadi said.

"The remaining differences between the ruling party and the opposition still hamper the signing of the deal," he said, adding "85 percent of the differences were resolved."

The GCC deal, which was backed by the UN Security Resolution 2014, stipulates Saleh to sign it and hand power to his deputy Hadi and quit 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.

The opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) signed the deal in May while Saleh backed out from signing it in the last minutes during three separate occasions.

The new development came three days after bin Omar arrived in Sanaa in a sixth attempt to follow up the implementation of the UN resolution adopted on Oct. 21 to call on Saleh to sign the initiative and end violence.

The upheaval in the country has left thousands of people killed and injured since the eruption of protest in late January to demand an end to Saleh's 33-year rule.