Yemen vice president calls voters for early presidential elections

By Mohammed al-Kibsi
Yemen has scheduled early presidential elections for February 21, 2012, in line with a power-sharing deal aimed at ending a nine-month political crisis, according to the country's official news agency.

A republican decree was indorsed on Saturday by the vice president Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi calling on voters for the early presidential elections set to be on February 16.
The decree also denoted that the current elections commission is eligible to run the elections and according to the current voters lists that were rejected by the opposition for the past 5 years. 
The U.S.-backed Gulf Arab proposal signed Wednesday in the Saudi capital Riyadh calls for Saleh to pass power to his deputy within 30 days, after a new government sworn in by the vice president passes a law protecting Saleh and his associates from prosecution. Presidential elections also are to be held within 90 days, well ahead of the original date in 2013.

It came after months of resistance by the leader of 33 years despite massive protests calling for him to step down. Saleh had agreed to sign the deal at least three previous times only to back out at the last minute.

Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said Saturday that the vote will be held on Feb. 21 and no party has the right to annul or change the decree. He made the announcement after Saleh gave him ``the constitutional authorities to carry out dialogue with the parties that signed the Gulf initiative.''

Meanwhile warplanes killed scores of anti-government tribesmen and jihadists who had overrun part of a military camp in the Bani Hushaish district north of the capital on Saturday.
Local sources said that warplanes and artillery had pounded the armed tribesmen and Islamic militias for the past two days.
Sources also said that the army reinforced the military site by dropping paratroopers on Thubab mount on Saturday night.