THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Yemen's protest movement on Sunday insisted on the quick exit of President Ali Abdullah Saleh after his ruling party accepted a Gulf plan for him to quit in 30 days in a move hailed by Washington.The United States had urged a peaceful transition after Mr Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party said late on Saturday it accepted a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan under which he would quit following months of protests.
However, Mr Saleh himself said any change of regime can only be through "ballot boxes and referendums," and said he could not give into [sic] a "coup".
"You call on me from the US and Europe to hand over power," Mr Saleh told BBC in an interview. "Who shall I hand it over to. Those who are trying to make a coup? No. We will do it through ballot boxes and referendums."
He accused the West of supporting his opponents whom he said were backed by al-Qaeda.
The opposition Peaceful Change Revolution issued a statement reiterating its rejection of the Gulf plan and demanded that Mr Saleh be prosecuted, contrary to the GCC proposal which calls for immunity.
"The committee ... utterly rejects any initiative that would not stipulate the departure of Saleh and his family (from power) and putting him and his staff on trial," it said. » | Sunday, April 24, 2011
