White House welcomes agreement on ending Yemen crisis

WASHINGTON: The White House welcomed Saturday a plan for Yemen's longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, urging all sides to "swiftly" implement a peaceful transfer of power.

"We applaud the announcements by the Yemeni Government and the opposition that they have accepted the GCC-brokered agreement to resolve the political crisis in a peaceful and orderly manner," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

"We encourage all parties to move swiftly to implement the terms of the agreement so that the Yemeni people can soon realize the security, unity, and prosperity that they have so courageously sought and so richly deserve."

His comments came after a senior official for Yemen's ruling General People's Congress said the party has accepted a plan from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council under which Saleh would stand down.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner earlier said "the timing and form of this transition should be identified through dialogue and begin immediately."

He also called for "genuine participation" from all sides and urged them to refrain from violence.

The Gulf plan would see Saleh submit his resignation to parliament within 30 days, with a presidential vote to be held within two months.

"The GPC and its allies have accepted the GCC initiative in its entirety," said Soltan al-Barakani, the party's deputy secretary general and head of the its parliamentary bloc.

Gulf Arab nations have also proposed forming a government of national unity in Yemen, Saleh transferring his powers to his vice president and an end to deadly protests rocking the impoverished country.

The opposition Common Forum coalition had said it would reject any national unity government while Saleh remains in office.

A defiant Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years, has publicly insisted on sticking to the constitution in any transfer of power throughout the violent turmoil wracking his country since January that has left over 130 people dead in clashes between security forces and anti-regime protesters.

Friday, he had given a cool response to a Gulf plan for him to quit, even as massive crowds returned to the streets to demand his immediate ouster.

"A solution to Yemen's problems will not be found through security measures, including the recently adopted emergency laws," Toner said in his statement.

"We will not speculate about the choices the Yemeni people will make or the results of their political dialogue. It is ultimately for the people of Yemen to decide how their country is governed."