Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to step down within 30 days in return for immunity from prosecution.

Saleh agreed to hand over power to Vice-President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, after talks with opposition parties mediated by the GCC, the UK’s Guardian newspaper reports.

Under the latest draft, Yemen’s parliament would grant Saleh legal protection from prosecution. The president would submit his resignation to lawmakers within 30 days and hand power to his vice-president, who would call for new presidential elections.

A coalition of seven opposition parties said they also accepted the deal, although they reject proposals for the formation of a national unity government within seven days of the signing, demanding that Saleh step down first.

The group is also against giving Yemen’s parliament, which is dominated by Saleh’s party, the power to approve or reject his resignation.

Despite the agreement, a swift end to protests across Yemen is unlikely. Spokesmen for the youth movement key to the street protests say immunity from prosecution is unacceptable. More than 100 people have been killed since protests began in January (MEED 14:4:11).