Yemen: Protests Continue, Saleh Denies Plans for Succession

Protests continued in Yemen this weekend after activist Tawakul Karman, a student protest leader, was arrested over the weekend for organizing unlicensed anti-government protests. Following her release on Monday, she vowed to continue her struggle against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who many believe will hand over power to his son, Ahmed Saleh. On Sunday, President Saleh denied those claims: “We are against succession. We are in favor of change.” He accused the opposition of trying to take over power by rallying people to the streets. He also announced plans to raise the salaries of government employees and military personnel by nearly $50. Despite continued calls for Saleh’s resignation, Ali Seif Hassan, a Yemeni political analyst, said Saleh’s speech indicates he is not likely to step down: “Saleh will run again in 2013 and will run after the next time.”