Qatar exits GCC-initiated Yemen solution

Xinhua, May 13, 2011

Qatar said Thursday it decided to exit the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-brokered initiative to resolve the crisis in Yemen due to the delay in signing the deal, the official Qatar News Agency said.

Qatar "was compelled to take this decision because of procrastination and delay in signing the agreement proposed in the initiative," the report quoted sources from the foreign ministry said.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al- Thani had informed GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani of Qatar's decision via phone.

Oil-rich GCC on April 10 put forward an initiative to end the month-long crisis in poverty-stricken Yemen.

The plan stipulated that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh leave office within 30 days after signing the deal in exchange for immunity from prosecution, and the new government, formed by the opposition within seven days, should arrange the presidential and parliamentary elections in 60 days.

But the proposal was stalled after Saleh refused to sign the deal on April 30.

Efforts to solve the Yemeni crisis went ahead as GCC chief Abdullatif Al-Zayani is due to head for Sanna Saturday to try to resume talks between Yemen's president and opposition over the peaceful power transition.

Al-Zayani on Thursday denounced violence in Yemen and called on all the parties to return to the GCC initiative for solving the crisis.

Relations between Qatar and Yemen also soured last month after Yemen recalled its ambassador to Qatar on the accusation that Doha was meddling in Yemen's internal affairs, which was denied by the Gulf emirate.