Yemeni president says ready to sign GCC deal
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Xinhua, August 30, 2011
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Monday he is now willing to sign a power-transition deal initiated earlier by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and urged the ruling party to talk with the opposition, GCC, U.S. and European Union ambassadors on implementing the deal.
Saleh said in an audio speech aired by the state TV that he could sign the GCC deal without delay on condition that an executive mechanism is agreed upon "for the country's higher interests and preparations for electing a new president for Yemen.
Saleh also said the talk with the opposition will be based on the GCC deal and the UN Security Council statement in order to prepare for free and direct presidential elections as soon as possible. The president is in Saudi Arabia for rehabilitation from injuries he sustained in a shelling attack on his presidential palace on June 3.
The GCC deal, initiated in April, stipulated Saleh to resign in 30 days and a presidential elections to be held within 60 days. The deal was suspended by GCC leaders on May 22 after Saleh refused to sign it for the third time.
Meanwhile, Saleh said several issues had been agreed upon and implemented, urging all related parties to take part in a dialogue and discuss efforts to uproot the causes for conflict and fighting.
