Yemen Votes out Saleh for His Deputy

Saleh follows Mubarak, Ben Ali, and Gadhafi out the door.

Yemenis voted in huge numbers today to formally remove President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power and to have him replaced by his vice-president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Hadi was the only name on the ballot to replace Saleh, who had ruled Yemen, the Middle East's poorest country, since 1978. Saleh had given his blessing to the vote as part of a transition of power, as Yemen has been rocked by violent anti-government protests for more than a year. Today's vote is the culmination of months of negotiations between Saleh and the Gulf Co-operation Council, which had sought a peaceful resolution to the Yemeni crisis. In June, after six months of protests, an RPG attack on the Yemeni presidential compound seriously injured Saleh. He was flown to Saudi Arabia to recuperate. Rumours of resignation persisted throughout the summer, but he returned to Yemen in October. Saleh's return prompted a spike in violence, and in November, Saleh finally signed off on a deal with the GCC that would see him cede power to Hadi. Saleh has reportedly been in New York since the end of January for medical procedures.