Tehran, Jan 24, IRNA - Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes peaceful transfer of power from President Ali Abdullah Saleh to a democratically elected government in Yemen, Iranian spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said on Monday. 

"Yemeni People, parties and revolutionary leaders can unitedly and peacefully reach their democratic demands," he added.

Mehmanparast also warned about foreign intervention in Yemen and the provocation of sectarian violence in that country.

Yemen has witnessed a popular uprising against the regime of Abdullah Saleh since January 2011.

Anti-regime demonstrators hold Saleh responsible for the killing of hundreds of protesters during the uprising.

The election is part of a Persian Gulf Cooperattion Council-brokered plan to end nearly a year of unrest sparked by calls to oust Saleh.

Under the agreement, Saleh handed authority to Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is the consensus candidate of major parties in the election.

Yemen's interim government approved a law earlier this month granting Saleh immunity from "legal and judicial prosecution" for any alleged crimes committed during his 33-year rule.

Pro-democracy activists have criticized the transition deal, saying they want Saleh and his powerful relatives to stand trial for a government crackdown on protests in which hundreds of people have been killed.

However, Yemen's foreign minister, Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has declared that a presidential election planned for next month on February 21 may have to be delayed because of security problems in the country.

Vice President Abdo Rebhi Mansour Hadi has condoned the latest remarks made by the foreign ministers, adding that any delay in the elections would be unacceptable.

The Interim Prime Minister Moahmed Sallam Basindwah has also condemned al Qirb's statements, stating that any delay in upcoming elections would be "unwise".

Opposition parties have on more than one occasion accused Ali Saleh and his remnants of trying to sabotage the peace initiative in an attempt to stay in power for a longer period of time.

As was stipulated in the peace initiative, Ali Saleh must first be granting amnesty from prosecution before any presidential elections take place.

The Yemeni Parliament has postponed the ratification of the bill which would grant Ali Saleh immunity, due to growing tensions between regime members and opposition in Parliament.

UN Envoy to Yemen Jamal Ben Omar is currently in the country meeting with the reconciliation government in an effort to push forward the power transition plan. Vice President Mansour Hadi will run the affairs of the country until a new leader is elected. As political negotiations continue between regime and opposition more and more protesters continue to voice their disapproval of the reconciliation government, who they say has failed meet the basic demands of the revolution. This is while millions of Yemenis continue to suffer from a perpetual economical drought.

© IRNA 2012