Begin power transfer, US urges Yemen leader

Washington, Apr 23, 2011- The US on Saturday urged Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to immediately begin the process to ensure a peaceful transfer of power in his country rocked by months of protests.

"President Saleh has publicly expressed his willingness to engage in a peaceful transfer of power; the timing and form of this transition should be identified through dialogue and begin immediately," State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said in a statement.

His comments came after a senior official for Yemen's ruling General People's Congress said the party has accepted a Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) plan under which Saleh would stand down.

The Gulf plan would see Saleh submit his resignation to parliament within 30 days, with a presidential vote to be held within two months.

"The GPC and its allies have accepted the GCC initiative in its entirety," said Soltan al-Barakani, the party's deputy secretary general from its parliamentary bloc.

Saleh had given a cool response on Friday to a Gulf plan for him to quit, even as massive crowds returned to the streets to demand his immediate ouster.

- AFP