REUTERS SANAA A DEAL to end Yemen’s political crisis hit a potential snag on Saturday as doubts were raised about whether President Ali Abdullah Saleh would personally sign an agreement that would have him quit power within a month.

But the country’s main opposition coalition said it still hoped wealthy Gulf states who brokered the deal would be able to ensure a signature by Saleh, a shrewd political survivor who has faced three months of prodemocracy protests seeking his ouster.

“Until now, we still have hope that the efforts of the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council will succeed in persuading the president to sign,” a prominent opposition leader told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Saleh, who has ruled the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state for nearly 33 years, had been due to sign the deal on Saturday in an agreement that, if implemented, would make him the third Arab ruler ousted by a wave of popular uprisings.

But in a last-minute wrinkle, a government official said talks were under way within the ruling party on whether Saleh would personally sign or leave it to senior members of his party.

Such a move could throw the entire deal into doubt.

“There is discussion on the matter at the moment,” the official said.

Other officials previously said repeatedly that Saleh would sign on Saturday.

The United States and neighbouring oil giant Saudi Arabia want the Yemen standoff resolved to avert chaos that could enable al Qaeda’s Yemen wing to operate more freely.

Saleh has in principle accepted the agreement negotiated by his oilexporting GCC neighbours.