Yemen's embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has appointed Khaled Bahah, his former prime minister, as vice-president.
An official close to Hadi, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists, said the decision today is meant to strengthen the role of the presidential institution.
The decision is at odds with the country's powerful Shiite rebels, who are demanding the formation of a presidential council.
The rebels, known as Houthis, held Bahah and Yemen's other Cabinet ministers in a weeks-long house arrest that ended in mid-March. During their forced detentions, Bahah and the Cabinet members resigned in protest.
Bahah, who hails from southern Yemen, served as Yemen's ambassador to the United Nations before he was appointed prime minister following weeks of political deadlock.
