Saleh's son warns against intervention in Republican Guards reform

Ahmed Saleh, the son of outgoing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and commander of the country's Republican Guards, warned in a statement late on Monday against any attempt of intervention to reform the elite security forces. The warning came a week ahead of the country's upcoming presidential elections that will peacefully ease his father out of office. According to the military principles, restructuring army does not only mean to change the positions of the units' leaders, but also means to relocate, arm and organize the units in certain areas, Ahmed Saleh said in a statement posted on the ruling party' s website on Monday night. Reforming Yemen's army is part of the UN-backed power transfer deal brokered by neighboring oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC) countries, which was agreed by the embattled president and the opposition following almost one year of protests against Saleh 's 33-year-rule that left hundreds of people dead. Under the deal, which was signed in November 2011, a military committee was formed with equal seats from the opposition and the ruling party and is headed by Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to restructure the army and security units during the next two-year interim period after Saleh steps down and Hadi takes office. The opposition and protesters have asked to dismiss Saleh's relatives, including his son and nephew who occupy high-ranking positions in military and security apparatus. Saleh agreed to step down in return for immunity from prosecution in accordance to the GCC deal. The GCC deal's immunity clause sparked almost daily nationwide protests demanding Saleh and his aides be prosecuted for "ordering Republican Guards units to kill hundreds of people during one-year protests." Ahmed Saleh's statement came just a few hours after his father, currently in the United States for medical treatment, urged Yemenis to vote for Hadi in the sole-candidate presidential polls scheduled for Feb. 21.