Sources close to the Presidential Palace have told the Yemen Post that Ahmed Saleh, the president’s eldest son and Chief Commander of the Republican Guards now refused to contemplate any possible transition of power, adding that he halted the negotiating process.

Foreign diplomats who were meeting with him only a few days ago said under cover of anonymity that they were “extremely” disappointed, especially since this stance meant that violence would most likely ensue.

Back in Saudi Arabia, president Saleh is now backtracking on his Eid resolutions, as he informs US officials that he intends to return to Yemen. According to the his latest declarations, Saleh was waiting for the palace inquiry to resume before travelling back to Sana’a and resume his position as the head of the state. It seems now that he’d rather come back earlier.

Since his arrival in the Kingdom, U.S and Saudi officials have been trying to use the “respite” in violence to find a political solution to the crisis by pushing forward a Gulf brokered proposal, which would enunciate Yemen’s transition of power. Despite their best efforts, Saleh has so far refused to concretely agree to anything, blaming his attitude on the text’s lack of clarity.

Furthermore, the embattled president is insisting that the Opposition has to restraint its negotiation to the Constitution’s parameters, excluding a change in leadership before 2013. When pressed to elaborate, Saleh said to be favoring early elections, refusing however to set a clear time line, only stating that it would take “some time” to organize.