Yemeni Parliament Endorses Immunity Bill for Dictator Saleh

Saturday, 21, January, 2012

Yemen Post Staff

In its session on Saturday, Yemeni Parliament endorsed the immunity draft law that protects outgoing dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh and his aides who worked with him during his rein as President of Republic of Yemen from prosecution.

The session was chaired by Parliament Speaker Yahia Al-Rayie and attended by Prime Minister Mohammed Basindoh along with all Ministers of the National Reconciliation Government (NRG).

The law draft dictates that no one can appeal, amend or question the law after being approved by the parliament.

The immunity draft mooted for vote at the behest of Saleh, who is also the GPC party's, which has the absolute majority of seats, chief.

The parliament has also approved VP Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi as the sole candidate for both former ruling General People Congress party and the opposition Joint Meeting Parties.

Separately, Human Rights Watch has noted earlier that the amendments which was put on the bill by the NRG is not enough and that the bill is still not fair.

Yemeni outgoing President to head to US

Yemeni outgoing dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh will go on a trip targeting some countries including the United States of America, France Press (FP) reported on Saturday.

FP has quoted Sultan al-Barakani, a leading figures in Saleh's General People Congress party (GPC), as saying:" Saleh will pay a visit to Ethiopia, Oman, and US respectively,"

Al-Barakni said Saleh will be to US for further medical treatment for his wounds sustained in an assassination attempt at the Presidential Palace early in January.

He did not put a timeframe for Saleh's trip. However, he took pains to emphasize that Saleh will come back home after the tour.

Veteran Saleh has announced his intentions to go for US in December, but he said he would go there to give way for the new government to prepare the upcoming presidential elections due to take place on February 21.

Separately, Yemeni Parliament passed on Saturday the controversial immunity law draft that protects Saleh and his aides from any legal prosecution.

Yemeni Parliament has for long been merely a tool at Saleh's disposal as his party (GPC) has overwhelming majority.

Yemen officials: Saleh to depart for Oman

Khaleej Times, (AP) 21 January 2012

Outgoing (Yemeni dictator) Ali Abdullah Saleh will leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States, Yemeni officials said on Saturday

Outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh will leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States, Yemeni officials said on Saturday, part of an American effort to get the embattled strongman out of the country to allow a peaceful transition from his rule.

Washington has been trying for weeks to find a country where Saleh can live in exile, since it does not want him to settle permanently in the United States. The mercurial president, who has ruled for more than 33 years, has repeatedly gone back and forth on whether he would leave.

The officials’ comments Saturday suggested Oman, Yemen’s neighbor, could be a potential home for him. Three officials said he would go, but they were divided on whether he would remain in exile in Oman or return to Yemen after treatment. His return, even if he no longer holds the post of president, could mean continued turmoil for the impoverished nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

After nearly a year of protests demanding his ouster, Saleh in November handed his powers over to his vice president and agreed to step down. A unity government between his party and the opposition has since been created. However, Saleh — still formally the president — has continued to influence politics from behind the scenes through his family and loyalists in power positions.

The US does not want to take him in, concerned it would be seen by Yemenis as harboring a leader they say has blood on his hands for the killings of protesters. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates already have rejected Saleh, American officials said.

Senior ruling party figure Mohammed Al Shayef told The Associated Press that Saleh would travel ‘in the coming days’ to Oman, then head to the United States for treatment of wounds he suffered in an June assassination attempt.

After treatment, Saleh would return to Yemen to head his People’s Congress Party, said Al Shayef, who is also a prominent tribal leader. Another top party official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk of the plans, gave the same itinerary, though he said Saleh would pass through Ethiopia en route from Oman to the US

Saleh himself has spoken in recent weeks of working as an opposition politician after he leaves the presidency.

However, an official in the prime minister’s office said Saleh ‘is supposed’ to return to Oman to stay after his US treatment is completed.

The official said Saleh’s powerful son Ahmed was currently in Oman, arranging a residence for his father. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk the press. It did not seem that Ahmed, who commands the elite Republican Guard that has been at the forefront of the crackdown on protests, would remain in Oman.

The unity government has been struggling to establish its authority in the face of Saleh’s continuing strength in the country. Like Saleh’s son Ahmed, Saleh’s nephew also commands one of Yemen’s best trained and equipped security forces, and the president’s loyalists remain in place in the government and bureaucracy.

Saleh agreed to step down under a U.S.-approved and Gulf-mediated accord with the opposition in return for immunity for prosecution.

Yemen’s parliament on Saturday approved the immunity law, a key step toward Saleh’s formal retirement from his post.

The law grants Saleh complete immunity for any crimes committed during his rule, including the killing of protesters during the uprising against his regime. However, parliament limited the scope of immunity for other regime officials and excluded immunity for terrorism-related crimes.

Initially, the law would have similarly given complete immunity to everyone who served Saleh’s governments throughout his rule, sparking a public outcry and a new wave of protests. In response, the law was changed to grant them immunity only on ‘politically motivated’ criminal acts. That apparently would not cover corruption charges.

Most protesters have rejected the accord entirely, saying Saleh should not be given immunity and demanding he be prosecuted.

Human Rights Watch said Saturday in a statement that the law allows senior officials to ‘get away with murder’ and ‘sends the disgraceful message that there is no consequence for killing those who express dissent.’

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