Houthis reject appointment of new prime minister

The Houthi group in Yemen yesterday refused the appointment of Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, director of the president’s office, as the prime minister to form a government, the Anadolu news agency said.

“We strongly reject this nomination, which is not in accord with the will of the nation and does not respond to the wishes of the people,” the rebels said in a statement after the appointment.

“This appointment is at the behest of outside forces, a denial of national sovereignty and… the rule of consensus that must direct the process of political transition,” the statement added, without adding further clarifications.

Yesterday, Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi tasked Bin Mubarak with the formation of a government, according to the official Yemeni news agency.

The decision came following an UN-backed “peace and partnership” agreement signed by the president of Yemen, the Houthis and a number of political forces on September 21. This came hours after the Houthis took control of government departments in the capital Sanaa including the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence and the state-run radio and television channels.

The main terms of the agreement included the formation of a technocrat government within a month, and the appointment of a member of the Houthi group as an adviser to the president as well as the reinstatement of petrol subsides.