Houthis object to Yemen government formation

Yemen’s Houthis on Saturday called for making modifications in the newly-formed government of their country, saying ministers involved in corruption ought be kept away from this government.

“The new government formation is disappointing,” the Houthis said in a statement.

They added that this formation did not go hand in hand with standards included in a national partnership agreement they signed with the Yemeni presidency in late September.

The Shia group noted that some of the ministers included in the new government did not meet the standards mentioned in the agreement.

The Houthis added that the government also included other ministers who were involved in corruption, even without mentioning the names of these ministers.

“There is a need for modifying the government formation and keeping those who do not meet the standards away from it,” the Houthis added in the statement.

Yemen’s new government was announced on Friday under Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah

The new cabinet includes 37 ministers, including the prime minister, according to Yemeni television.

There are 29 newcomers in the new government, while seven ministers have retained their posts.

The announcement of the new government should have ended weeks of tension among Yemen’s political factions over the formation of the cabinet.

Earlier this month, Houthis backed a presidential decree appointing Khaled Bahah as the new prime minister.

The Shia Houthi group, which has remained in control of capital Sanaa since late September, had earlier opposed the appointment to the premiership of Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak to succeed Mohamed Basindawa, who resigned late last month.

The Houthis signed a deal with the presidency on September 21 that called for the formation of a technocratic government and the withdrawal of the Shiite group’s members from Sanaa.

The agreement, however, has yet to take effect, with the Houthis extending their influence beyond the capital to other parts of the country.

Yemen has been dogged by political turmoil since a popular uprising that erupted in 2011 toppled autocratic ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.

Some Arab capitals have accused Shia Iran of supporting Yemen’s ongoing Houthi insurgency.