Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose departure to the United States for medical treatment was seen by his opponents as a final capitulation, now says he’s returning home to participate in upcoming presidential elections. Saleh refused to step down from the post he held for three decades as violent demonstrations racked the nation for months. In June, after he was seriously wounded in a rocket attack on his presidential palace, he flew to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. At the time, many saw it as a back-door entry into exile. He finally returned to Yemen, where his deputy, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, had stepped-up as acting president. In November, Saleh finally abdicated, signing an initiative promulgated by the Gulf States; and then in January flew to New York, again claiming that the trip was for medical treatment. And again, it was viewed by many as a face-saving exit from Yemen where many opponents remain angry that the Gulf deal included immunity from prosecution. US officials had said that Saleh would not return to Yemen before the snap election, but news agencies are now reporting that the deposed leader told visitors of his plans to return for the vote. In fact, he need not bother since Hadi is running unopposed.
