(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) There is yet another twist in Yemen's political crisscross. President Ali Abdullah Al Saleh seems to be unrelenting and has now volunteered to travel to the United States - without making it clear whether he would like to call it a day or not.
Under an earlier arrangement, the reigning dictator had relinquished his powers by transferring them to one of his deputy, but clinging on to the high office till February. What disturbs the equation is that Saleh hasn't lost sight of power, and tongue-in-cheek mentions of a comeback as an opposition stakeholder. How this will impact the unity government that Sanaa has just sworn-in remains a million-dollar question, as Saleh's complete exit from the power spectrum remains a salient feature of the deal.
The proposition, however, hangs upside down, as Washington says it is contemplating whether to welcome Saleh or not - even on medical grounds. Piecemeal and half-hearted efforts as these on behalf of the Yemeni president have stalled real movement in the political sphere. The opposition and even those who rally behind the ruling party want Saleh to go, and that can't be ensured until and unless the international players come out with a specified stance on the crisis of governance in one of the poorest and disenfranchised Arab country.
Yemen has seen a lot of trouble and this three-decade old government had literally split the country on geographical and ethnic lines. Moreover, the country is home to sectarianism and too volatile to be governed. With the moving in of Al Qaeda in Yemen, it is a perfect security threat to the entire region. This is why it is argued that Yemen needs a strong administrative mechanism and, moreover, one that is across-the-board, which could address to the challenges of the future by simply doing away with the sense of parochialism.
Saleh doesn't need to look here and there for excuses to prolong his exit. He has committed to do so on more than occasion. The Arab League strategy that had made it possible to install a unity government has to be implemented in letter and spirit. All that Saleh has to do is to signoff and live a private life.
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