There was only one candidate on the ballot for Yemen’s presidential election held Monday. The long-time vice president of outgoing strong man Ali Abdullah Saleh, acting president Abed Rabu Mansour Hadi, was the only name for which the Yemeni people could vote — the result of a diplomatic deal worked out with Saleh by the Saudis and other Gulf states that will see the president leave power after 33 years later next month.

The agreement, brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council, calls for Hadi to serve for two years, overseeing the drafting of a new constitution, restructuring the armed forces, and preparing the nation for multi-party elections. Saleh will step down in 30 days, and has been granted immunity from prosecution for the hundreds of deaths that occurred during the uprising — a sticking point with the youthful protestors in the streets who braved bullets in order to rid the country of Saleh’s odious rule.

With chaos nearly guaranteed by Saleh’s departure, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) will almost certainly continue to gain ground in the south where the authority of the state has frayed and there are few troops to combat them.

Read more: http://frontpagemag.com/2012/02/22/yemeni-president-ousted/