Yemen begins national reconciliation talks under UN supervision
Iran Press TV
Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:41AM GMT
Yemen has launched a national reconciliation dialogue under the supervision of the United Nations to pave the way for elections and a new constitution, ending the prolonged political crisis in the country.
On Monday, President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi opened the talks at the presidential palace in the capital, Sana'a.
Over 560 delegates from Yemen's political parties took part in the event.
The dialogue was, however, boycotted by southern political factions that staged a general strike and protests in the port city of Aden on Sunday against the initiative.
The talks are scheduled to run for six months under the UN supervision.
The reconciliation dialogue, initially planned to begin in mid-November 2012, was postponed mainly due to the refusal of political groups in the Southern Movement to join the negotiations.
Most factions have finally agreed to take part after months of negotiations and calls by the UN.
The reconciliation talks are part of a deal that ended the rule of former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Saleh formally stepped down and handed power over to his Vice President Hadi on February 27, 2012. The power transfer was under the Saudi-backed deal brokered by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council in April 2011 and signed by Saleh in Riyadh on November 23, 2011.
President Hadi, who is a UK-trained field marshal, was sworn in on February 25, 2012, following a single-candidate presidential election that was supported by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
MP/HSN
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