President Saleh should leave power early, minister says

By Nasser Arrabyee/24/02/2011

A Yemeni minister said President Ali Abdullah will not be far from what happened in Tunisia and Egypt, asking him to hold an early presidential elections this year.

The minister of tourism Nabil Al Faki, said in a letter addressed to Saleh, the presidential elections should take place late this year in coincidence with parliamentary elections with President Saleh only sponsoring the peaceful transfer of power.

President Saleh repeatedly said this week he would not run for office when his current term ends in 2013 and that his son Ahmed would not succeed him.
Al Faki’s letter which was published in the state-run daily Al Syasyah, advised Saleh also to do many other political and electoral reforms to institutionalize the State and guarantee the rule of law.

Great efforts are now being made by internal and external players (specially American and European) to help President Saleh find an acceptable solution without necessarily an immediate step down.

Unlike the ongoing limited but increasing demonstrations of the young people who demand the ouster of Saleh, the opposition coalition which includes the Islamist, Socialists, and Nasserites, want only guarantees from Saleh that he will leave power at the end of his term and he will not interfere in the would-be unity government that would prepare for and monitor the early elections.


After a meeting with the chairman of the American democratic institute (NDI) Les Campbell in Sana’a on Wednesday, President Saleh called for forming an national unity government to monitor the elections.

And called for stopping demonstrations for paving the way for talks.


President Saleh, at the same time, instructed the security forces to protect the anti-and pro-government demonstrators in the streets.


Earlier on Tuesday, one demonstrator was killed and more than 10 injured when armed tribesmen of two rival demonstrations clashed with each other nearby Sana’a university.

The anti-regime demonstrators from the young people increased to thousands, instead of hundreds, after the clashes of Tuesday.