Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh welcomed Monday the UN resolution urging him to quit but failed to say if he will comply and resign, the state news agency reported. The resolution, unanimously agreed by the council’s 15 members on Friday, strongly condemned deadly govt attacks on demonstrators and backed a Gulf-brokered plan under which Saleh would end his 33 years in power. Saleh “welcomed UN Security Council resolution… on the crisis in our country,” said Saba news agency, adding that Saleh called for a dialogue with the opposition. The resolution reaffirms “support for a presidential decree issued on September 12 which was aimed at reaching a political agreement accepted by all parties and to ensure a peaceful and democratic transfer of power,” said Saba. Saleh also said his “General People’s Congress party and its allies are ready to immediately sit with the (opposition) Common Forum (alliance)… for talks over the initiative’s implementing mechanism as soon as possible.” This will lead to “finalising the signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative which will be immediately implemented through early presidential elections based on a timing agreed upon by all parties,” Saba reported. Saleh has repeatedly stalled the Gulf initiative, aimed at ending months of protests, under which he will step down 30 days after it is signed in exchange for immunity from prosecution. The Security Council called on Saleh to keep a promise to immediately sign the GCC plan and for a peaceful power transition “without further delay.”
