23 Yemeni opposition leaders withdraw from National Council

SANAA, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Some 23 opposition leaders from Yemen's southern regions, who were among the newly-established 143- member National Council, announced their withdrawal from the anti- government body in a statement late on Friday.
The 143-member National Council was formed on Wednesday, a day after Saleh in the Saudi capital of Riyadh where he received treatment after he was injured in a bomb attack on his palace in June, vowed in a speech to return soon to Sanaa to resume his duties until 2013.
"We were surprised that our names were included in the list of National Council without acknowledging us," said the joint statement by the 23 leaders, including former president Ali Nasser Mohamed, former Prime Minister Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas and head of Islamic Islah (reform) party in the southeastern province of Hadramout.
The 23 leaders said they refused to join the council because it lacks of balance between members from southern and northern provinces.