Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has invited the opposition, which is seeking his immediate exit, for talks, disregarding the rising tide of nationwide protests that is seeking regime change in the country.
On Friday, Mr. Saleh told thousands of his supporters that the opposition should come forward for dialogue to ensure “security and stability of the country”. As he spoke, protesters in their thousands held a parallel rally in capital Sana'a seeking his exit. Huge crowds, demanding a political overhaul, have stationed themselves permanently at a square outside the university in the Yemeni capital.
Mr. Saleh's latest appeal for dialogue and an orderly political transition has come two days after the opposition served him a fortnight's notice to quit. Rejecting a Saudi-led initiative to end the crisis, Mohammed al-Mutawakkil, an opposition leader, said on Thursday: “We have renewed our emphasis on the need for speeding the process of [Mr. Saleh] standing down within two weeks. Therefore we will not go to Riyadh.” The Yemeni revolt seeking greater political freedoms, an end to nepotism and extreme poverty, is being led by its youth. However, solid support is now forthcoming from various other quarters as well.
On Thursday, Yemeni religious scholars and tribal leaders called for “the immediate stepping down of the President of the Republic and the dismissal of all his relatives from the military and security apparatus of the state”.
Government employees and workers are also joining the protests in larger numbers. Government employees and schools last week struck work in the southern city of Aden. Tribal groups have attacked a main power plant, causing disruption in electric supplies in Sana'a and the cities of Taiz, Hudaida and Ibb. Taiz has become one of major focal points of protests, where 13 people were injured after pro-regime supporters opened fire on tens of thousands who had poured into the streets after Friday prayers.
Bahrain crackdown
Bahrain continues its crackdown, on pro-democracy dissidents. Authorities have sought court approval to ban Al Wefaq, an opposition group which has played a leading role in anti-government protests in February.
Bahrain is under a state of emergency after the government in March ordered a crackdown, with the backing of Saudi Arabia, which sent around a thousand of its troops into its neighbouring Kingdom. The Bahrain Human Rights Council has estimated that more than 370 regime-opponents have been arrested since the emergency was declared.
Syrian protests
On Friday, large pro-democracy protests have also been held in Syria. Al Jazeera, quoting an activist is reporting that security forces have confronted “tens of thousands” of protesters who were trying to enter the capital, Damascus. But police did not prevent thousands from demonstrating in the southern city of Daraa.
