Yemen Rivals to Sign Deal to End Crisis

Yemen's political rivals have agreed to sign a Gulf-brokered plan Wednesday to end the country's bloody political crisis, the president's aid told al-Arabiya television, but the opposition was cautious.

When asked if the agreement would be signed Wednesday, President Ali Abdullah Saleh's aide Ahmed al-Sufi said: "Yes, it will be today." There has been "positive" and "important progress."

But the opposition seemed more cautious.

"If the initiative was unchanged" from its initial version, "we will sign," said parliamentary opposition spokesman Mohammed Qahtan.

"We came to an agreement late Tuesday but this morning they changed their minds," Qahtan told Agence France Presse, adding that Saleh and his partisans "refuse" to sign it this way.

"The disagreement is on who will sign from the opposition," said Qahtan. However, "there's an agreement on the time frame."

Talks are ongoing, said Qahtan adding that the opposition will meet Zayani later on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, GPC spokesman Tareq al-Shami told AFP: "We have discussed with Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General (Abdullatif) al-Zayani the mechanism to implement a plan to end the crisis."

"This plan needs a time frame to implement it," said Shami.

Zayani arrived in the capital Sanaa on Saturday in an attempt to convince both sides to sign the initiative.

The six GCC states have proposed an exit plan that would see embattled Saleh, who has been in power for 32 years, out of office within 30 days.

The agreement has stalled after Saleh refused to sign in his capacity as president, insisting on endorsing the agreement only as leader of the ruling General People's Congress, contrary to the demands of the opposition.

He says that under the constitution he should serve out his current term of office, which expires in 2013.

But Washington called on him last Thursday to sign the deal "now."

The Gulf plan, which has lost Qatar's support, proposes the formation of a government of national unity, Saleh transferring power to his vice president and an end to deadly protests which have shaken the country since late January.

The president would submit his resignation to parliament within 30 days and this would be followed by presidential election within two months. In exchange, Saleh and his top aides would be granted immunity from prosecution.

At least 180 people have been killed in clashes during protests against Saleh's regime that erupted in late January, according to a toll compiled from reports by activists and medics.