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11/22/2024 10:11:41 am

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Yemen Rebels Reject Appointed Prime Minister

Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak

(Photo : Reuters / Khaled Abdullah) Yemeni politician Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak speaks to journalists as he enters a hotel in Sanaa September 27, 2014.

Yemen rebels on Tuesday rejected the prime minister that tohe president appointed as part of an agreement aimed to prompt Shi'ite Muslim fighters who took control of the capital to leave the city.


The rejection of the appointed PM further shakes up the already unstable political situation in Yemen, according to Reuters.

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Last month, Houthi fighters easily took control of Saana, the nation's capital which is home to 2 million residents. The takeover of the city came weeks after the beginning of violent protests that left over 200 people dead, the report detailed.

Yemen is presently trying to end the political turmoil that has beset it for years. In 2011, pro-democracy protesters succeeded in ousting President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was replaced by his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The rebels have not heeded demands for them to leave the capital, insisting that a deal they closed with Hadi says they are not part of the government, thus they have the right to stay put until president appoints a new PM.

On Tuesday, Hadi appointed Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, his office director, as Yemen's new PM, state news firm Saba reported. However, the Houthis rejected the new PM, saying the U.S. embassy in Sanaa influenced the decision.

Houthi political bureau member Abdelmalek al-Ejri said Hadi named bin Mubarak as the new PM when the committee of political parties failed to choose an appointee from the five candidates Hadi selected. In an interview with Reuters, Ejri said the president was responsible for the decision.

Since seizing Sanaa, the Houthis have controlled the capital and are now supervising the operations of several ministries of the government. Last week, the rebels commanded the Finance Ministry to temporarily halt all payments save the ones for state workers.

 Bin Mubarak is a native of Aden, a city in southern Yemen, and was a consultant for the country's international projects before he became Hadi's director. Last year, he served as the country's secretary general for the "conference of national dialogue," a committee made up of political party representatives that Hadi chose to draft reforms.

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