Pro-democracy protesters in Yemen have put more pressure on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

They have formed a transitional council which they say would run the country if the government collapses. But the government has said that the formation of this council would only aggravate the political crisis in the country.

In his first speech since he was admitted in hospital in Saudi Arabia, Saleh called on the opposition to share power.

So, is this council the answer to Yemen's troubles? And how much leverage would it have over an already splintered opposition?

Inside Story, with presenter Jane Dutton, discusses with guests: Ameen Alhem-yari, a Yemeni-born professor of political science at Qatar University; Abdulrahman Bafadel, the head of the JCP, the joint coalition of opposition parties in the Yemeni parliament; and Hassan Al-Haifi, a political commentator and columnist.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Sunday, July 17, 2011.