YEMEN’S PARLIAMENT HAS VOTED to approve 30-day-long emergency laws proposed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh which will introduce sweeping measures aimed at quashing protests.

The emergency law means the constitution is suspended and it grants security forces special permission to arrest and detain people without judicial process.

Opposition and independent legislators stayed away from today’s parliamentary session, along with dozens from Saleh’s ruling party – which dominates the parliament – and no breakdown of the vote is available.

Saleh has come under increasing pressure from the protests after key military figures switched their allegiance to the protests and has stepped up security measures against the demonstrators. At least 45 protesters were shot dead on Friday.

Yesterday, Saleh said he would resign from office by the end of this year, but said he would not hand power over the military, as Hosni Mubarak recently did in Egypt. Al Jazeera reports that Saleh has made similar promises in the past: in 2005 he said he would not run for office, only to do so the following year.

Protests calling for Saleh’s immediate resignation continue in Yemen today.

- Additional reporting from the AP