According to Press TV, Saleh said in a statement on Tuesday "I will return to the land of the nation after the end of my treatment to be present during the election."

Saleh formally transferred power to his deputy Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi in November under a deal brokered by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.

Hadi, who is the only candidate in the February 21 election, said that he is “determined to overcome our crisis through dialogue and logic, not weapons."

Saleh is reported to have undergone medical treatment in the US for wounds he sustained in an attack on his presidential palace last year.

On January 21, Yemen's parliament approved a law that granted complete immunity from prosecution to Saleh for the crimes committed during his 33-year-long rule.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Yemenis have taken to the streets of several Yemeni cities, calling for trial of Saleh over the killing of hundreds of protesters.