SANAA - Yemen opposition parties on Tuesday urged Persian Gulf mediators to spell out whether President Ali Saleh would hand over power early under Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) proposal to end a two-month crisis over leadership and political reforms.

Persian Gulf Arab foreign ministers said this week they would invite Saleh and the opposition coalition to mediation talks in Riyadh, a key financier of Sanaa who analysts say Saleh trusts, on a transition of power, Reuters reported.
The opposition said on Monday they rejected the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council statement on the framework for the talks because it appeared to offer Saleh a waiver from any future prosecutions, demanded by the protest movement in the streets of Sanaa since February.
Opposition spokesman Mohammed Qahtan said on Tuesday the parties also had concerns over the phrase “transfer of power”, which does not specify the timeframe for Saleh to step down. Protesters and the opposition are demanding an immediate exit.
The Persian Gulf states need to clarify the meaning of the transition of power,” he told Al Arabiya TV, adding Persian Gulf states had not yet set a date for their talks invitation.
“We are awaiting their call ... We have not received (a date), we are awaiting their call, (to see) if there is a new suggestion from them.”
Saleh accepted the PGCC framework, after state media initially suggested the government would reject it.
“He (Saleh) has no reservations about transferring power peacefully within the framework of the constitution,” a statement from Saleh's office said on Monday.
A transfer of power could technically last until the next presidential elections scheduled for 2013. Saleh has offered new parliamentary and presidential elections this year as part of political reforms, but says he should stay in power to oversee the change or hand over to what he calls “safe hands”.
While protesters want Saleh out now, some in the opposition, which includes Islamists, leftists and Arab nationalists, are prepared for him to stay in power for several months more before handing over to his vice-president.
The Yemeni president, who has been in power since 1978, has offered new parliamentary and presidential elections this year as part of political reforms, but says he should stay in power to oversee the change or hand over to what he calls “safe hands.”
Tens of thousands gathered in the streets of Sanaa, Taiz, Hudaida, Ibb and the southeastern province of Hadramaut on Monday to protest against the Arab plan.