Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has ordered a meeting of both houses of his nation’s parliament on Wednesday with an eye toward discussing how to react to the growing opposition protests across the nation.
As with Tunisia before it and now Egypt, the opposition in Yemen has been rallying tens of thousands of people in the capital city of Sanaa and increasingly elsewhere across the nation demanding that President-for-life Saleh step down in favor of a new democratic government.
Saleh has already promised to leave office in 2013, but as with the other nations this promise has not appeased protesters, who are calling on Thursday for the largest anti-government rally yet.
Saleh has now also announced increases in financial aid to the nation’s struggling poor and new jobs programs, in an attempt to placate the increasingly poor and desperate masses. Though the moves may satisfy some, it seems the calls for sincere change will not die down over a few extra welfare checks.