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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-May-2011
1-May-11 News -- Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down

Web Log - May, 2011

1-May-11 News -- Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down

The move may be political theatre

Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down

In a rebuff to the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by Saudi Arabia, Yemen's president Ali Abdullah Saleh has refused to sign a peace agreement that the GCC had brokered.

Ali Abdullah Saleh

Ali Abdullah Saleh

After "Arab uprisings" began in January, first in Tunisia and then in Egypt, Yemen became the third country to face tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters demanding that the country's leader step down. Since then, over 145 protesters have been killed, making the demands that Saleh step down even louder.

The GCC members, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, were becoming increasingly concerned that Yemen's government would collapse completely, leaving the country in a state of tribal chaos. So the GCC ministers worked with Saleh and with the opposition leaders to come up with a transition plan that would allow Saleh to step down peacefully.

Saleh had informed the GCC a week ago that he would sign the plan, according to VOA. The plan called for Saleh to step down with a month, after 32 years of rule, in return for a grant of immunity from prosecution. The opposition coalition had accepted the deal as well, although some protesters objected to allowing Saleh escape prosecution.

Political theatre?

Saleh was supposed to sign the agreement on Saturday, but found a cute way of backing out, according to Al-Arabiya. He said he would sign the agreement in his role as head of his political party, but not in his role as "president of the republic." In effect, he's reneging on his promise to step down.

Many officials in the region believe that Saleh's turnabout may be temporary political theatre, according to the article, and that he's trying to secure more concessions from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Saleh is the beneficiary of a great deal of aid from oil-rich GCC countries, and other GCC leaders are unlikely to permit Saleh to humiliate them for long.

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 1-May-11 News -- Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (1-May-2011) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-May-2011 1-May-11 News -- Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down

Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down

Political theatre?

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-May-2011
1-May-11 News -- Yemen's president Saleh reneges on agreement to step down