Despite opposition protests and calls by the United States for a vote delay, some 170 members of Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party voted in favor of the constitutional amendments, an AFP journalist reported.
In line with the constitution the amendments will be discussed in detail again on March 1, and then they will be submitted to a referendum to be held simultaneously with parliamentary polls on April 27, a GPC member said.
In power since 1978, Saleh was elected for the first time in 1999 by direct universal suffrage for a term of seven years. His second term, which began in 2006 expires in 2013.
Only two independent MPs who attended the meeting called for postponing the vote which sparked an opposition sit-in outside parliament on Saturday.
Opposition and independent MPs who control 65 seats in the 301-strong parliament have warned that adopting the amendments would "destroy what remains of the foundations of democracy" in Yemen.
On Friday the United States urged Yemen's parliament not to go ahead with any move to amend the constitution.
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