Representatives from Yemen's opposition coalition were heading Sunday for Saudi Arabia to explain to the Gulf Cooperation Council their insistence that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down, the opposition website reported.
A delegation from the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), a grouping of the Yemeni political opposition, is to meet with foreign ministers to discuss a compromise GCC proposal and to give their own description of conditions in the country, JMP Chairman Yasin Saeed Numan said, dpa reported.
The GCC has offered to mediate in Yemen's stalemated political crisis. At least 100 people have been killed and thousands injured since Yemen's youth-led uprising started in mid-February against Saleh's 32-year rule.
The GCC states previously announced an initiative calling on Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down. The GCC later amended the initiative to call for Saleh to transfer his powers to his deputy, raising concerns among the anti-regime protesters and the opposition that the president might remain in office, even if only as a figurehead.
Numan accused Saleh's ruling party of having given "inaccurate image over the situations in Yemen to our brethren in the Gulf states." The opposition leader warned of "hazardous indicators in the nation threatening of tragic consequences."
Tens of thousands of women rallied Saturday in many cities to denounce Saleh's insult to them in a speech Friday to his supporters, when he called on the JMP to ban mixing men with women in protests squares. This was seen as an attempt to shame and impune the morality of the opposition.
"This is unacceptable from a president addressing his people like this," said a woman demonstrating in Sanaa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing government retaliation.
Sheikhs and other prominent Yemeni figures led by Sheikh Sadiq al- Ahmar of the influential Hashid tribe in Sanaa have demanded that Saleh apologize for the remarks.
Saleh has said that he will leave office when his current term ends in 2013 but refuses to step down early, in the face of growing daily anti-government demonstrations inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian revolts.