Saleh stays on

Yemen's opposition stepped up efforts to remove president Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday, dismissing his offer to stand down after a presidential election at the end of the year.

Tensions ratcheted higher ahead of a planned rally today that protesters have dubbed "Friday of Departure", and presidential guards loyal to Mr Saleh clashed with army units backing opposition groups demanding his resignation.

But a general who has thrown his weight behind the protesters said he had no desire to take power, as fears grew of a major confrontation between rival military units in the capital Sanaa or elsewhere.

Yassin Noman, head of Yemen's opposition coalition, dismissed Mr Saleh's offer as "empty words". "No dialogue and no initiatives for this dead regime," opposition spokesman Mohammed al-Sabry said.

General Ali Mohsen, whose troops protected pro-democracy protesters in Sanaa, criticised Mr Saleh's "stubbornness", and said the army would protect protesters.