Dubai, March 25: Yemen appeared to be nearing a brink today as protesters staged a "million people" march onto the capital Sanaa after Friday prayers, amid reports that a shaky President Ali Abdullah Saleh was engaged in serious negotiations to time an exit.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Sanaa University Square in a march dubbed as "day of departure rally" where opposition speakers said nothing short of exit of the Saleh, who has ruled the country with an iron fist would be acceptable to them.
Thousands of elite President's Republican Guards separated the protesters from another huge gathering sponsored by embattled Saleh were he declared that he would resist an escalating campaign to oust him, but renewed his offer to transfer power to responsible hands.
His guards fired in the air after his speech, creating almost chaotic scenes as only a few kilometres separated the loyalists and the pro-democracy protesters. The opposition also turned down his invitation to the youths leading the protest movement to join a dialogue. They turned down the President's latest offer to hand over power to what he described as "safe hands" as gimmick.
New York Times quoting top Yemen and US officials said, that Saleh was serious talks with opposition to time his exit.
Truckloads of anti-Saleh protesters poured into Sanaa, while the supporters of the beleaguered President attempted to stage a counter rally, raising the prospects of a bloody confrontation.
Al-Jazeera quoting witnesses said, that loyalists forces from the Republican guards were out on the streets with tanks and bazokas to prevent anti-government supporters from entering the city.
Replicating the Egyptian million strong rally which proved to be the final nail in former dictator Hosni Mubarak's coffin, the Yemeni protesters carrying huge posters calling for Saleh to quit and labelled their march as "Friday of Departure".
The protesters attempted to march to Presidential palace but were stopped by pro-establishment forces. The rival rallies had raised fears of a possible repeat of the previous Friday when 52 demonstrators were gunned down by regime loyalists. The international rights group have warned the government against any renewed use of "deadly force".
Yemen is already under a state of emergency declared by Saleh just hours after bloodbath in Sanaa. The chanting "no dialogue and no initiative" for this "dead regime" opposition spokesperson Mohammad al-Sabri dismissed dismissed Saleh's offer to step down.
The defecting general Ali-Mohsen has thrown his weight behind the protesters and vowed that his troops will protect the marchers.
Taking a defiant posture, President Saleh went live on television, throwing scorn on anti-government protesters, while offering amnesty to military defectors if they returned to the government side.
Al-Jazeera said Saleh had spoken to the defecting general on Wednesday night but, Mohsen spurned an offer to return and later publicly said "military rule in the Arab world is outdated."
New York Times said, as the four week old protest movement appeared to be gaining momentum, the president is engaged in serious negotiations over the timing in conditions for the end of his 32-year-old rule.
Quoting top level Yemeni and American official, the Times said, "the general assumption is that his (Saleh) days are numbered."
The paper said, Saleh seems determined to decide the number himself, adding that the discussion about his exit were not just talks in a room, but negotiations involving representatives of 20 or more Yemeni factions and interest groups.
The talks are being closely monitored by representative of Saudi Arabia, Yemen's wealthy northern neighbour and the US embassy in Sanaa.
"We want to express support for transition and concern about our security issues," a senior American official said. "But we dont want to take sides". PTI
