Sanaa, December 05: Thousands of Yemeni anti-regime demonstrators have taken to the streets across the country to call for the execution of dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.
On Saturday, Yemeni protesters took to the streets in several cities as part of daily demonstrations, demanding the downfall of the regime.
Protesters asked the international community to intervene in the months-long crisis in Yemen. They also called for an end to the shelling of the southern city of Taizz.
Dozens of people have been killed in Taizz since Thursday, when Yemeni regime troops shelled several areas in the city.
Forces loyal to Saleh once again clashed with anti-government protesters and tribesmen in Taizz on Saturday.
Taizz city center is a stronghold of armed tribesmen that have been backing the popular Yemeni revolution since it began in late January.
Saleh signed a deal brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on November 23. Under the deal, he transferred power to Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi in return for immunity from prosecution. However, Yemeni protesters have strongly rejected any deal that grants immunity to the Yemeni dictator.
Hadi has announced February 21, 2012 as the date for a presidential election in the country, which will be the first in Yemen since 2006.
Last week, the Yemeni vice president appointed head of the opposition coalition Mohammed Basindwa as the new prime minster. Basindwa has been tasked with forming a national unity government by mid-December.
UN Security Council Resolution 2014, which was unanimously passed on October 21, expresses “grave concern at the situation in Yemen.” The resolution also strongly condemns “human rights violations by authorities.”
——-Agencies