Gulf plan sees three-month Yemen power transfer

A new version of a Gulf Arab proposal to end Yemen's political crisis calls for a three month transition that would end with a presidential election, a senior Yemeni official told Reuters on Thursday. The Gulf Co-operation Council's secretary general presented the plan to President Ali Abdullah Saleh in a visit to Sanaa on Thursday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Saleh is facing an unprecedented challenge to his 32-year rule. More than two months of protests demanding his resignation have rocked the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state where al Qaeda militants have re-established themselves in recent years. The Gulf proposal, which envisages an immediate end to protests, would see Saleh step down within a month of signing the initiative and hand over powers to his vice president, the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The plan requires the formation of new unity government that would be headed by an opposition figure appointed by Saleh. According to the plan, 50 percent of the government would be comprised of members of the current ruling party, 40 percent from the opposition coalition, and 10 percent from unaffiliated political groups. The unity government would work to organise presidential elections within two months of Saleh's resignation.
"We welcome this new initiative and we will deal with it positively," a presidential aide said earlier, after GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani met with Saleh. Zayani later met with opposition leaders but it was not yet clear what their response was. The opposition have expressed concern over Saleh controlling the transfer process. The Gulf proposal grants Saleh, his family and close aides immunity from legal prosecution, the official said. Protesters have insisted on the right to prosecute Saleh but opposition parties have given no clear view as to what they would accept.