Yemen protesters reject US-backed Saleh exit plan

SANAA: Yemen protesters Sunday demanded the immediate departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh after his ruling party accepted a Gulf plan for him to quit in 30 days in a move promptly hailed by Washington.

The United States had urged a peaceful transition after Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party said late Saturday it accepted a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan under which he would quit after months of protests.

The top committee of the Peaceful Change Revolution issued a statement reiterating its rejection of the plan and demanding that Saleh be prosecuted, contrary to the GCC proposal which calls for immunity.

"The committee... utterly rejects any initiative that would not stipulate the departure of Saleh and his family (from power) and putting him and his staff on trial," it said.

The Gulf plan would see Saleh submit his resignation to parliament 30 days after tasking the opposition with forming a "national accord government" shared equally between the GPC and the opposition.

His resignation would also follow the enactment by the parliament of laws providing "immunity against legal and judicial prosecution of the president and those who worked with him during his rule," the text of the initiative says.

Saleh's deputy would then take over as interim president and call for a presidential election within 60 days. (AFP)