Yemeni opposition to form transitional ruling council unilaterally: official

SANAA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) said on Friday that they are "unilaterally preparing for forming a transitional ruling council after the ruling party along with acting President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi refused to join them," an opposition official told Xinhua.

"The JMP is due to hold meeting on Saturday to discuss the mechanism for forming the transitional ruling council, which would include representatives from the protesters, separatist Southern Movement and Houthi-led Shiite rebels," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Opposition leaders believed that Saleh would be unable to run the country if he returns due to his "severe injuries."

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of pro- and anti-government protesters staged rallies in major provinces across Yemen on Friday.

In Sanaa, the protesters demanding the ouster of Saleh and the departure of his sons and aides gathered in Changing Square, calling for forming a transitional presidential council to rule the country during post-Saleh era, according to witnesses.

Thousands of pro-Saleh protesters also staged a rally in al- Sabeen Square close to the presidential palace. They named the day as "Steadfast Friday", raising pictures of Saleh and shouting slogans to welcome the "soon return" of Saleh from Riyadh.

The 69-year-old president, who ruled the impoverished Arab state for more than three decades, has confronted six-month protests demanding him to step down.

The neighboring Saudi Arabia along with United States fear that Yemen's the prolonged political standoff, which has already severely undermined the security and economic situations, could benefit resurgent al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to expand its activities and gain more control over remote cities.