Yemeni President Promises to Step Down

Ali Abdullah Saleh’s announcement was the latest sign of the wave of reform that continues to reshape the Middle East.

Another one bites the dust. A day after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak pledged he would step down at the end of his term, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he too will not seek re-election when his term ends in 2013. Inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, thousands of Yemenis have taken to the streets in recent days in the largest demonstrations since Saleh took office 32 years ago. While he also promised electoral reform, opposition politicians expressed skepticism at Saleh’s pledges to reform, noting that he already went back on his 2005 promise not to run for re-election. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and is a haven for al Qaeda.