Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2014 23:43:08 +0100
Yemen's Houthis turn up the pressure on Hadi
Government salaries not paid for October due to Houthi disruption, sources
say
Written by : <http://www.aawsat.net/author/arafat-madabish> Arafat Madabish
on : Saturday, 1 Nov, 2014
Sana'a, Asharq Al-Awsat-Yemen's Houthi movement has given embattled
President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi just 10 days to form a new government,
warning that the Shi'ite movement will take unspecified additional "options"
if the deadline is not met.
Despite granting Hadi a 10-day deadline, Houthi fighters continued their
move to expand their presence in Yemen on Friday and Saturday. Houthi rebels
attacked the headquarters of the Islamist Al-Islah Party in Yemen's Ibb
province, killing at least four guards and blowing up the building.
Speaking on Friday at a meeting of Houthi supporters in Sana'a, Sheikh
Daifallah Rassam said: "The president has 10 days as a final chance to form
a government. Otherwise, our next meeting will be at the headquarters of
decision-making." Rassam is head of the popular cohesion tribal council in
Saada and a senior member of the Houthi movement.
Other senior Houthi figures called for the establishment of a "National
Salvation Council" to take over rule of the country if a new government
cannot be formed. "All revolutionary options are open" if Hadi fails to meet
this deadline, the Shi'ite group warned.
The Houthi escalation comes as talks over the formation of the new
government, led by Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, remain stalled over the
distribution of ministerial portfolios. A UN-backed deal that saw a
power-sharing agreement between the ruling party, the Houthis and
representatives of Yemen's disgruntled south was signed earlier this year.
Despite Khaled Bahah being agreed by the parties as a consensus figure more
than two weeks ago, disputes have emerged over cabinet appointments.
In light of the deteriorating security situation inside the country, and the
ongoing political stalemate, ten of Yemen's western and international allies
issued a statement on Saturday calling on the Houthis to stop their advance
and allow the government to carry out its duties without threat or
intervention.
"We stress the importance of having a qualified government able to show
integrity, competence, impartiality and commitment to the promotion of human
rights and the rule of law", the statement by the Group of Ten Ambassadors
said. The Group of Ten Ambassadors are the representatives of the 10 states
that backed the power-transfer deal that saw Hadi replace former Yemeni
President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The statement called on the Houthis to "stop their continuous campaign to
seize government and military institutions and to bring back the military
equipment they seized," according to Yemen's state SABA news agency.
While a Yemeni official, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of
anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said that
government salaries were not paid to civil servants for the month of October
after the Houthis took over control of the Ministry of Finance in Sana'a.
Yemenis chant slogans as they attend a tribal meeting held by Houthi Shiite
rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 31, 2014. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)
Yemenis chant slogans as they attend a tribal meeting held by Houthi Shiite
rebels in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 31, 2014. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)
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