Inside Story

Yemen’s presidential power

How much longer can Ali Abdullah Saleh retain rule over his country?

Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s president, is refusing to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) brokered deal to put an end to months of unrest in his country.

And now the GCC has had enough and has suspended the deal it has tried for months to make a reality.

Saleh himself is the only one refusing to put pen to paper, his party has signed, and so has the opposition. The result –  a total collapse of the deal and Saleh is now warning of war and blaming only the opposition.

Will he ever go? And can the Gulf Cooperation Council make any sort of impact on the politics and people of its regional neighbour? 

Inside Story, with presenter Kamahl Santamaria, discusses with Hussein Shobokshi, a columnist for the Saudi-based Asharq Alawsat newspaper; Zaki Chehab, the editor of www.arabstoday.net – an English and Arabic language news website; and Hassan al-Haifi, a political commentator and columnist.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Monday, May 22, 2011.