Tens of thousands of protesters throughout Yemen called on Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down Friday, despite the president accepting a Gulf-brokered plan for transferring power to his deputy, dpa reported.
"We are looking to institute a civil state preserving justice and equality for all and that is why we cling to our demand to oust president Saleh, who proved inefficient during his 32 years of rule," Musa Al-Namrani of the National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms (HOOD) told the German Press Agency dpa.
"The protests will be victorious at the end and single-man rule will vanish," he said, as massive rallies calling for Saleh's immediate ouster took place in the capital Sana'a and the southern city of Taiz.
In a speech delivered to his supporters in Sana'a earlier on Friday, Saleh welcomed a Gulf-brokered power transfer plan.
"We welcome the initiative from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and we will deal with it positively within the framework of the Yemeni constitution," Saleh said.
The head of the GCC, Abdulatif Al-Zayani, on Thursday presented a plan to Saleh designed to end nationwide unrest.
The plan calls for the formation of a national unity government, to be led by the opposition, and for President Saleh to transfer his powers to his deputy within 30 days thereafter.
While loyalists gathered near the presidential palace for a "Reconciliation Friday," anti-Saleh protesters rallied on what they have named "The Last Chance Friday."
"We will not leave these squares. We will not withdraw our demand for his departure," said a cleric in his Friday sermon to the crowd gathered in Taiz, the country's third-largest city.
Saleh had earlier said he would not leave power until his term ends in 2013.
While describing the opposition as "worn out, cowardly" elements, Saleh vowed not to use force against activists who have been calling for his ouster.
"We will face them without bloodshed and without using guns. We will face their challenge, with another challenge," said Saleh, in a speech aired on state television.
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