"Thursday`s demonstration will continue as scheduled," said Mohammed Kahtan, a member of the Islamist Al-Islah (Reform) party in the Yemeni consultative council.
Mohammed al-Sabri, a leader in the Common Forum, a parliamentary opposition alliance, added: "We will look into the president`s speech, although his announcements came late."
But Sabri added that Saleh`s call "to halt demonstrations is unacceptable," as he too confirmed that the opposition would go ahead with a nationwide "day of rage".
Saleh, head of state since 1978, appealed earlier Wednesday for a halt to protests demanding his resignation, as he announced that he would freeze constitutional changes that would have enabled him to be president for life.
Until last weekend, demonstrations had been taken place on a nearly daily basis in the capital Sanaa, echoing anti-government protests in Egypt and Tunisia.
In central Sanaa on Wednesday, dozens of armed men from Saleh`s General People`s Congress were seen setting up tents in Al-Tahreer square and carrying portraits of the president.(*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
