Monday, March 21, 2011

SANAA: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has seen a string of allies break ranks with him in recent days, fired his government Sunday, as he faced increasing pressure from street protests to step down.

Saleh suffered a devastating political blow when his own powerful tribe demanded his resignation Saturday.
Also Sunday, mourners buried some of the 52 anti-government protesters shot dead by rooftop snipers after Friday prayers in Yemen, where tens of thousands of people have protested for weeks.

“The president of the republic has dismissed the government,” state media said Sunday, adding that efforts to form a new government were under way.
A government source said neighboring Saudi Arabia had been trying to quietly mediate even before Friday’s shooting, and efforts were continuing.

Friday’s bloodshed prompted Saleh to declare a state of emergency for 30 days that restricts freedom of movement and the right to gather. It also gives police more powers to make inspections and arrests.
Yemen’s ambassador to the U.N.  Abdullah Alsaidi resigned his post Sunday as defections picked up steam after Friday’s killings.

In addition to the U.N. envoy, Yemen’s Minister for Human Rights Houda al-Ban also resigned her post Sunday, making her the second Cabinet member to defect since Friday. “The critical situation prevents us from continuing in our jobs under a regime that does not respect human rights and freedoms,” Ban said, speaking also on behalf of her deputy Ali Tayseer.

The day after the bloodshed, the head of Saleh’s Hashed tribe met with religious leaders at his home Saturday and emerged with a statement of support for the protesters’ demands that the president step down. “We hail with all respect and observance, the position of the people at the [Sanaa University] square,” Sheik Sadiq al-Ahmar said late Saturday.

Two other prominent members of the ruling party also quit, including the head of the state news agency, Nasr Taha Mustafa. A former ambassador, Abdel-Malek al-Iryani, also declined an invitation to join the Shura Council.

In Sanaa, mourners started burying the dead in side-by-side graves in a small cemetery near a military camp. Police, who protesters blame for the deaths, withdrew from public sight near protest areas to be replaced by soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms but bearing only batons, in an apparent bid to reduce tensions.

“This is an acknowledgment of the failure of the security in repressing the revolution, and the crowds that came out today are a signal of the readiness to put forth more sacrifices,” opposition spokesman Mohammad al-Sabry said.

Tanks stood guard near the presidential palace in Sanaa and armored vehicles were positioned outside sensitive locations. But tension appeared lower. In the protest camp near Sanaa University, mourners placed roses at a site where five protesters died. “We have one aim, but revolutions require sacrifices, and we are willing to give more of our blood for our cause,” said Wassim al-Qudsi, a young man who was among the mourners. – Reuters, AP