Yemeni Tribal Chief Resigns From Country's Ruling Party to Back Protesters
Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Tarik Yousef, founding dean of the Dubai School of Government, talks about the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Yousef speaks with Erik Schatzker and Lizzie O'Leary on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)
Sheikh Hussein al-Ahmar, a prominent Yemeni tribal chief and member of parliament, resigned from the country’s ruling party and announced his support for anti- government protesters, an opposition party website reported.
Other chiefs from Yemen’s two biggest tribes, the Hashid and Bakeel, announced a rally for tens of thousands in Amran province today to show support for demonstrations calling for an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s three-decade rule, al- sahwah news website of the Islah opposition party reported. Both Saleh and al-Ahmar are members of the Hashid.
Those who have resigned “have their own agenda which are different from that of the party,” Abdulhafidgh al-Nahari, vice chairman of the media department at the ruling General People’s Congress, said by phone today. The party is battling to defend “the republic, unity and democracy and this is an honorable battle we are fighting for,” he said.
Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in Yemen’s capital Sana’a yesterday chanting “leave” and “the people want to overthrow the regime.”
Police have used tear gas and truncheons in an attempt to halt previous protests and have on occasion fired guns, leaving at least seven people dead. The demonstrations, which have taken place in towns and cities across the country, including Taiz and Aden, have lasted more than two weeks.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mohammed Hatem in Yemen at mhatem1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Philip Sanders at psanders@bloomberg.net.
Rate this Page