Saleh forth: Yemeni president vows return

The president of Yemen has promised his supporters he will return home soon from his convalescence in Saudi Arabia.

Ali Abdullah Saleh was seriously burned in a bomb-blast in June.

A popular uprising against him erupted six months ago.

But speaking on TV he invited the opposition to go to the ballot box, saying he was prepared to hand over power through elections but not a coup d’etat.

The opposition thought they had seen the back of Saleh when he flew to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment.

They have maintained their pressure for Saleh’s coterie to leave power. Demonstrations just a few days ago included troops who had defected from the government.

But Saleh has sidestepped the fate of leaders in Tunisia and Egypt and remains, technically at least, the president.

He ended his TV address saying: “See you soon in Sanaa.”

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