Yemen’s Saleh orders probe into killings despite power transfer deal

Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered a probe into violence that left five people dead in Sana’a on Thursday, a day after he signed a deal to immediately hand over his powers to his deputy.
Saleh “condemned the violence that left casualties today in the capital Sana’a” and “ordered the ministry of interior to carry out an immediate and full investigation and to bring those responsible for this crime to justice, whatever party they belong to,” the state Saba news agency reported.
Crackdown against protesters continued in the Yemeni capital Sana’a as gunmen fired at demonstrators demanding Saleh not to be given immunity.
At least five were killed and 27 injured in Sana’a, according to medics.
Saleh who is expected to leave office in 30 days, has signed a Gulf-brokered power transfer plan in Riyadh on Wednesday in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.
The deal will end his 33 years of rule, which King Abdullah hailed as marking a “new page” in the impoverished country’s history.
Under the agreement, Saleh will hand over his powers to Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi but remain honorary president for 90 days.
Activists and some opposition members who blame the Yemeni president for the bloodshed against protesters, have criticized the Gulf-brokered deal as unjust as it gives the Yemeni president immunity.
In related news, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Yemen on Wednesday to immediately implement the deal.
“The United States will continue to stand by the Yemeni people as they embark on this historic transition,” Obama said in a written statement.
Observers hoped that Saleh’s acceptance of the deal will end months of unrest since January and halt delays that had seen protests degenerate into deadly unrest.

Protesters against opposition bloc

The protesters also chanted slogans against the Common Forum parliamentary opposition bloc led by the Islamist al-Islah (reform) party which first signed in April the plan drawn up by impoverished Yemen’s wealthy Gulf neighbors.
“Common Forum, Islah, leave after the assailant,” they shouted, referring to Saleh, who is expected to go straight from the Saudi capital to New York for medical treatment.
“We will stage a million-man march today to reject the guarantees given to Saleh,” said Walid al-Ammari, a spokesman for the youth activists.
Ammari said Saleh’s agreement to hand his powers to the vice president made no difference to the reality of the regime.
“We will continue until we have toppled the rest of the regime,” he said. “We did not start a revolution to keep half of the killers.”

Source: AlArabiya