Pretoria - South Africa has welcomed the formation of a coalition government as part of the power transfer deal meant to end months of political unrest in Yemen.
In a statement, the Department of International Relations commended Yemen's Vice President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa for their efforts in forming the national consensus government.
"We hope that the new Yemeni leadership would be able to implement the necessary measures in order to ensure that free and fair elections are held in February 2012 as provided for in the agreement," the department said.
Concerned about the continuing violence in Yemen, most notably in the southern city of Taiz, Pretoria called for restraint on the part of all protagonists.
It also welcomed mediation efforts by the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy, which led to an agreement to transfer.
Yemen has been gripped by a political crisis since January this year, after the outbreak of nationwide protests that demanded an end to the 33-year rule of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
On 23 November, Saleh's party, General People's Congress, and the opposition Joint Meeting Parties signed the power-transfer initiative in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, in an attempt to conclude the crisis.
Under the deal, early presidential elections in Yemen are set to be held on 21 February next year, while Saleh retains the title of honorary president for 90 days before his resignation and is granted immunity from prosecution.
