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| Arabia |
| If Saleh continues political activities he would end up in jail, opposition leader |
| 2012-03-03 |
| [Yemen Post] A high-ranking opposition leader said that if the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salah continues his political activities as the head of the General People Congress, which he founded in 1982, he would be held to accountable for all massacres and crimes committed during his rein including the massacres against peaceful protesters. In an interview on Wednesday with Radio Sawa, Mohammed Qahtan, a leading figure in the main party in the opposition bloc Joint Meeting Parties, said that if Saleh seeks to resume work in politics that would be a clear breach of the GCC-brokered deal signed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh by Saleh and the JMP. Subsequently he would stand trial for the crimes and massacres committed during his reign as Yemen's President. He stressed that the Yemeni people would not accept or tolerate seeing Saleh returns to politics after he plainly proved his ultimate failure in it. "The GCC-crafted power transfer deal, which was pushed through by the entire international community and their mounting pressures on us, has guaranteed a safe and honourable exit for him[Saleh] with the aim of averting more bloodshed or potential armed conflict. However, some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... If Saleh stood defiant and stubborn he would end up in jail," said Qahtan. While his cronies at the General People Congress insist that Saleh would lead his party and stay in Yemen, national and international media outlets has reported in the couple of days ago that Saleh would seek exile and that he would leave the country soon for unspecified destination. Saleh came back to Sana'a on Saturday to attend the official power handover ceremony of his successor Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who has won the presidential polls with 99.8 percent. After more than 9 months of being defiant in the face of unbeatable massive protests calling for his ouster, Saleh, 70, signed a deal under which he transfered his power to his deputy in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Saleh quit his post as the President, his relatives, however, still in control of most military institutions in the country. Ahmed, Saleh's elder son, for example, is the commander of the elite Elite Republican Guards, the best trained and equipped military troops in the country. |
| Posted by:Fred |