Yemeni opposition parties announced on Sunday their plans to hold national dialogue with the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) has reported.
The opposition leaders said they were ready to sign a framework agreement on the ways to resume the dialogue with the ruling party and accepted the initiative offered by the president earlier this month.
Facing pressure from the opposition, Saleh, who has ruled the impoverished Arab country for 33 years, pledged on February 2 not to seek a new presidential term, hand over power to his son and go ahead with the constitution reform that would allow him to remain in office for life.
Mass demonstrations, inspired by the recent riots in Egypt and Tunisia, took place in the country's capital, Sana'a, on Saturday. The rally was dispersed by riot police and several people were arrested.
The protests, the first large-scale public challenge to Saleh in his rule, broke out in Yemen in late January when tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Sana'a demanding that Saleh leave office.
ABU DHABI, February 13 (RIA Novosti)
