Yemeni opposition drafts transitional ruling council

SANAA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni opposition coalition unilaterally released a draft on forming a transitional ruling council on Monday, saying "Gulf mediators were not serious enough about pressing the wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh to implement the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) power transition plan. "

"Due to obstructions by Saleh's aides and the lack of seriousness of the Gulf mediators to press Saleh's followers to implement the GCC initiative and accelerate the power transition to Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in accordance with the Yemeni constitution, it has been imperative for the opposition to form a transitional ruling council as soon as possible," the opposition said in a statement.

In the statement, which was obtained by Xinhua, the opposition also said they were "in continuing meeting with their allies, including the protesters and political forces of separatist Southern Movement and Houthi-led Shi'ite rebels, in preparation to declare the establishment of post-Saleh transitional ruling council very soon."

In a quick reaction to the opposition's step, the ruling party' s spokesman Tarik al-Shami told Xinhua Monday that "what has been prepared by the opposition for unilaterally declaring a transitional ruling council is considered to be a coup against the Yemeni constitutional legitimacy and against the GCC-brokered peaceful power-transition initiative."

Al-Shami also warned the opposition leaders that "such council will not be recognized by the Yemeni government, nor by the international community, because President Saleh is still the legitimate leader of the country until 2013, and he will return within next few days to Sanaa to resume his duties as the president of Yemen."

Protests demanding ouster of Saleh and his sons and aides packed the streets across major provinces on Monday to hail the opposition's step of establishing the transitional council, calling for accelerating the process of announcing the council, said witnesses.

The frequent street protests almost paralyzed all the economic activities in the impoverished Arab country, which was in the grip of the deterioration in security situations and severe shortages in fuel, electricity, water, and medicine supplies.