Main Yemeni Factions Agree to Form Government
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Yemen’s main political factions, including the Houthis, signed an agreement mandating the president and prime minister to form a new government in an effort to defuse political tensions that have crippled the country.
Prime Minister Khaled Bahah will head the selection of the new ministers with consultation from President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, a statement emailed from the 13 political parties said.
"We, the political parties, ask President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah to form a competent national government ... which is committed to the protection of human rights, rule of law and neutrality in the management of affairs of the country," the statement said.
Saturday’s statement did not mention when the new government would be formed, but a number of party members who were involved in the negotiations that led to Saturday's agreement said it could be in a few days or a week.
UN special envoy Jamal Benomar, who attended the meetings, told the Reuters news agency that, under the agreement, parties that do not have representatives in the president's advisory body will be allowed to nominate candidates for the different ministries.
"Following that the prime minister will choose the more competent candidates for each posting," said Benomar.
Yemen's Shiite Houthis and their main rivals, al-Islah Party were among the groups that signed the agreement. The agreement came hours after Houthi fighters attacked Islah's headquarters in the central province of Ibb, killing four guards.
The Houthis gave Hadi an ultimatum on Friday to form a government in 10 days or face "other options".
"It is a compromise agreed to overcome the question of sharing out ministerial portfolios between the various groups" behind the political stalemate, signatory Abdel Aziz Jubari of the liberal Justice and Construction party told the AFP news agency.
