Ali Abdullah Saleh

Ali Abdullah Saleh (Arabic: علي عبد الله صالح, ʿ Alī ʿ DMG Abdullah Saleh, often written Saleh, born March 21, 1942 in Bait al -Ahmar ) was since July 17, 1978 President of the Yemen Arab Republic ( North Yemen ) from 1990 to 2012 president of the united Yemen, the Republic of Yemen. He is also Chairman of the dominant ruling party General People's Congress.

Career

As a young man Ali Abdullah Saleh joined the army and participated in 1962-1968 in the civil war in the former Kingdom of Yemen on the Republican side against the royalists. In 1974 he was involved in the coup against President al- Iryani and in 1978 became President of the Yemen Arab Republic.

President of the united Yemen

After several failed attempts, succeeded on 22 May 1990, the association with the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen ( South Yemen ). However, it was long time no real union of the administration can be achieved. In 1994, civil war broke out with the South when it came to the predominant influence of the conservative North in the area around Aden to revolt old troops of the South. In July 1994, the revolt was put down but militarily.

2001, the presidential term was extended from five to seven years. The presidential elections of September 23, 2006 Salih won with 77.2 % of votes cast. The main opposition candidate Faisal Bin Shamlan reached only 21.8 %. Since Article 162 of the Yemeni constitution, the number of terms of office limited to two, Salih that in 2013 can not run again for president.

Loss of power in 2011

On 1 January 2011 Salih submitted constitutional amendments, the substance of which is the lifting of the restriction of office. For the term of office was to be again reduced to five years. The proposed constitutional changes triggered protests by the opposition. End of January 2011, several thousand people demonstrated in the capital Sanaa, demanding Saleh to follow the example of the beginning of the month ousted Tunisian president Zine el- Abidine Ben Ali and relinquish power. Whereupon Salih announced in February 2011 that he would not run again in 2013 for another term. A month later, he announced that in 2011 early elections will be held.

3 June 2011 Salih was injured in a rocket attack on the Yemeni presidential palace, is blamed for the warring Haschid strain of Sheikh Sadiq al -Ahmar. Salih was - as his injured during the attack Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mudschawwar - transferred for treatment in Saudi Arabia. Early August 2011, Salih could leave the hospital, but he remained first in Saudi Arabia. Under the Constitution, Salih was represented during his absence by the Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

End of August 2011 announced the Yemeni government elections even at the current year. In addition, Saleh ordered his deputy to open talks on a power-sharing with the opposition. Despite these actions, the opposition continued its protests. On September 23, 2011 Salih returned surprisingly back to Yemen. In early October 2011, he repeated his resignation announcement. In the same month, the UN Security Council called Salih unanimously on a regulated power transfer and condemned the continuing violence and human rights violations in Yemen. The resolution was granted him immunity from prosecution, he would, following a plan of the Gulf Cooperation Council, sign up for a controlled transfer of power within 30 days. On 23 November 2011 Salih then signed an agreement on the basis of the plan of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which provides for the transfer of power to his deputy, Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi, as well as new elections within 90 days. In return, Saleh and his relatives were assured immunity and free passage to the United States of America.

Transfer of power

On January 22, 2012 Saleh handed power to his deputy Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi, and flew out to Oman, from where he flew to medical treatment in the United States. Until the presidential election on 21 February 2012 Salih was still officially the title of Honorary President.

On February 27, Salih Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi joined with jointly on state television. The opposition reacted angrily to it and had said there was no democratic change in Yemen.