Yemen's power transfer deal expected to be signed in next days

A Gulf-brokered power transfer initiative was expected to be signed in the next few days, although the date and place of the signing ceremony has not been fixed up, officials of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party said on Tuesday. "The date and place for signing the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC) initiative is still under consideration by the GCC mediators and there were high expectations (for it) to be finalized within the next few days," two officials of the ruling party told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. "The ruling General People's Congress (GPC) will deal with any suggestion positively," they said without providing further details. However, local opposition media reported on Tuesday that the initiative would be signed in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh on Nov. 10 by Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was authorized by President Saleh on Sept. 12. It also said the proposal of signing the deal in Riyadh was made by GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani, and a delegation of the Yemeni opposition headed by Mohamed Salim Basindwa, the chairman of the opposition National Council, was invited to go to Riyadh by this Thursday. The signing ceremony would be attended by al-Zayani and the UN envoy to Yemen Jamal bin Omar. The initiative, which was brokered in April, stipulated Saleh to quit in 30 days and hand over power to Hadi, who would then form an opposition-led national government and arrange presidential elections in 60 days. Saleh has backed out of signing the deal three times in the last minute. The impoverished Arab country has been rattled by almost daily protests since late January calling for an end to Saleh's 33-year rule. Saleh said in a speech on Saturday to mark the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha that he "will continue to support efforts of power transfer and leave office in accordance with the GCC initiative," urging his opponents to "resume dialogue and renounce violence."