Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi issued a decree on Saturday, declaring Feb. 21 as the date for early presidential elections, the state-run Saba news agency reported.

"Based on the UN-backed Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative and its implementation mechanism, which both were signed in Riyadh on Nov. 23, we call an early presidential elections to be held on Feb. 21 next year to elect a new president for the country," said a republican decree issued by Hadi, Saba reported.

The decree said that "no party has the right to annul or change the date."

Under the GCC deal, President Ali Abdullah Saleh handed power to his deputy Hadi on Wednesday in return for immunity from prosecution, which was rejected by some angry protesters. The deal stipulated the early presidential elections should be held in 90 days.

A government official said the next presidential decree for Hadi will be the appointment of the new opposition-led prime minister within 48 hours.

On Friday, the opposition officially named National Council's chairman Mohamed Basindwa as its candidate to head the new consensus government equally form the opposition and the ruling party within 14 days.

Hadi on Saturday also instructed the Homeland Security forces to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 2014.

Yemen has been rattled by 10-month unrest that almost brought the impoverished Arab state on the verge of civil war and economic collapse.

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