Yemen’s newly-elected President, Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi, was sworn in on Saturday, replacing Ali Abdullah Saleh after 33 years in power.
“Elections have taken Yemen from despair to hope,” Mr. Hadi told Parliament after taking the presidential oath.
Mr. Hadi received 99.8 per cent of the vote in Tuesday’s election, in which he was the sole candidate. The vote was the result of a November deal between Mr. Saleh and the opposition allowing for a peaceful transfer of power following months of unrest.
Yemen’s embassy in the United States said Mr. Saleh had returned to Yemen to take part in the inauguration ceremony for Mr. Hadi, broadcaster Al Arabiya reported.
Mr. Saleh had been in the U.S. for treatment after suffering from serious burns during an attack on his presidential complex in June. Violence has gripped Yemen since January 2011, when thousands of people, inspired by the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, took to the streets to demand Mr. Saleh’s resignations.
