Yemen reforms: Saleh’s party recommends forming new government

SANAA:

Yemen’s ruling party recommended forming a new government to draft a new constitution based on a parliamentary system in line with reform offers by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, state media said on Sunday.

"Members of the central committee of the People's Congress stress the quick need to form a government tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country on the basis of a parliamentary system," the news website of the defence ministry said.

Negotiations on a transition of power from Saleh have stopped and were not immediately expected to resume, an aide to a top general who has sided with protesters said on Sunday.

"Yesterday evening they stopped," said the aide to General Ali Mohsen. Asked if he anticipated they would resume, he said: "Until now, absolutely not."

A spokesman for Yemen's main opposition coalition also said the talks had been halted.

Saleh has warned of Somalia-like "chaos" in Yemen if he steps down without an agreed successor as Washington said on Sunday his fall could endanger its fight against al Qaeda.

Highlighting the multiple challenges facing any ruler of Yemen, suspected al Qaeda militants seized control of Jaar, security officials told AFP.

The battle for control left at least one soldier dead and a militant seriously wounded, an official said.

"Jaar and surrounding villages have fallen into the hands of al Qaeda," he said on condition of anonymity. The militants seized control of public buildings, including a local radio station and a barracks. Another security official said the militants, in a statement signed by "your brothers, the mujahedeen," said the soldiers would be allowed safe passage if they disarmed.

Elsewhere, a soldier on duty near the residence of Abyan's governor that had been the target of repeated attacks by Islamists was shot dead on Sunday.

However, a southern opposition leader, retired general Ali Muhammed al-Saadi, has accused Saleh of aiding the spread of al Qaeda's influence in the south so as to convince his allies in the West that chaos would prevail in Yemen without him at the helm.

"(He) ordered certain military units in Abyan province to hand over their weapons to Al-Qaeda elements under his control," Saadi wrote in a press release. He said Saleh intends to warn the international community that "al Qaeda is the alternative to his regime."

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2011.