Yemeni government facing more pressure

SANAA, Yemen, March 21 (UPI) -- The Yemeni government announced Monday it would have an extraordinary meeting Wednesday to address the crisis unfolding in the country.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh fired his Cabinet during the weekend but lost ground after several officials quit the government following the deaths of at least 45 protesters last week. Security forces opened fire on demonstrators last week as pressure on Yemen's first and only president intensified.

Members of the armed forces Monday expressed their commitment to the government and confirmed their loyalty and the country's constitution, the official Saba news agency reports.

"They affirmed that they will not make it possible for any coup against democracy, the constitution legitimacy and security of the country and the Yemeni people," the report stated. Several military leaders defected, however.

Lawmakers said Monday they planned an extraordinary meeting Wednesday to consider the crisis.

Saleh is facing mounting pressure to step down. He announced earlier this year he wouldn't seek another term in 2013 and reached out to several members of the opposition, who haven't responded to his concessions.

Hakim al-Masmari, editor in chief of Yemen Post, told al-Jazeera, meanwhile, that the defection of several military officers meant Saleh's days were numbered.

"It is officially over, now that 60 percent of the army is allied with the protesters," he said.