Yemeni party urges probe into Saleh’s ‘crimes’

Yemen’s General People's Congress Party has called for ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his supporters to be “held accountable for crimes against the people of Yemen.”

The calls came during a consultative meeting held in the Saudi city of Riyadh where party reiterated its support for the legitimacy of President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi and denouncing the takeover of Houthi militias, the said in a statement.

The GPC party also reiterated in their statement that they support the principles laid out in the U.N. resolution 2216 and urge all parties to abide by them to restore security and legitimacy back to the government.

The party’s comments’ come as it’s their leader Saleh told Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen television in an interview broadcast on Monday that he was ready to quit his position as head of the country's largest party to facilitate an end to fighting that had killed more than 5,000 people,.

Saleh said he was willing to step down as head of the GPC within 21 days in exchange for ending the attacks on Yemen and lifting a blockade on the entry of supplies to the country, according to the Reuters news agency.

Saleh, who enjoys the loyalty of the armed forces despite having stepped down from office nearly four years ago after months of protests, had joined forces with the Iran-backed Houthi militias. An Arab coalition is currently trying to shore up support for Hadi in a bid to restore security.

This article also available in Arabic.

(With Reuters)