Yemen’s Leader Says He’ll ‘Reject Power,’ as Foes Cast Doubt

SANA, Yemen (AP) — President Ali Abdullah Saleh made vague comments on Saturday indicating that he was willing to leave power, but he gave no concrete plan for the future of the country.

Yemen’s opposition cast doubt that Mr. Saleh was serious in what was his first major speech since returning to the country after being wounded in June.

Addressing lawmakers, Mr. Saleh said: “I never wanted power. I will reject power in the coming days. I will give it up. But there are men who will take power. There are men who are true to their pledges, whether military or civilians, who will take power. They can never destroy the country.”

He did not elaborate on whom he was referring to or give any firm commitment to resign. He said he would meet with Parliament in the coming days to “transparently discuss” the situation in Yemen.

It was not the first time that Mr. Saleh had expressed a willingness to step down amid eight months of mass protests demanding his ouster. Still, he has repeatedly refused to resign immediately and rejected a United States-backed deal for him to hand over his authority.

Mr. Saleh was gravely hurt in June in an explosion at his presidential palace, after which he left to Saudi Arabia for treatment. During his absence, mediators and opposition groups sought to convince him to stay away and transfer power to his deputy as a way to carry out the transfer agreement negotiated by regional powers. He declined and abruptly returned to Yemen late last month.

A violent crackdown against Mr. Saleh’s opponents followed, with outright street battles in the capital, Sana.

His declaration on state television on Saturday gave few clues about his intentions. Wearing beige medical gloves for the treatment of burns from the bombing, he did not shake hands with any of his guests, who instead shook the hands of his deputy, standing by his side.

Mr. Saleh railed against the opposition forces, whom he accused of being behind the chaos in the country. He said they had failed to cooperate with his deputy, who took over some of his duties while he was away. He said the opposition groups were holders of a “dark and destructive project.”

He also said that a major country had asked him not to return to Yemen, a request he said he declined. “I am not a transit president,” he said.

Opposition members were skeptical of his comments. Mohammed al-Sabri, an opposition spokesman, said they were intended to generate headlines ahead of a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday that is to discuss the failed efforts to convince Mr. Saleh to sign the power transfer deal.

“If the president was serious and is convinced that the public no longer wants him, he should do it today and not tomorrow,” Mr. Sabri said.

Mr. Sabri also said Mr. Saleh’s words were directed at the West because the speech was broadcast at a time when Yemen had no electricity, and no one would be watching. Electricity in Sana has been sporadic, sometimes off for as long as two days at a time, since fighting flared last month.

“The Yemeni people are used to his lies,” Mr. Sabri said. “He has often promised things and never lived up to them. This is turning into a rerun for a soap opera.”