Yemen has announced a new 36-member government intended to take the impoverished country out of political crisis.
Formation of the new cabinet under a peace deal agreed on September 21, the day Shiite Huthi rebels seized the capital, had been delayed because of tensions between the rebels and their political rivals.
The new government includes four women, one of whom takes the information and culture portfolio. Four members of the outgoing cabinet were reappointed and three more changed portfolios, the state news agency Saba said yesterday.
Career diplomat Abdullah al-Saidi becomes foreign minister, and the new defence minister is General Mahmud al-Subaihi, who was commander of the 4th Military Region.
Political police chief General Jalal al-Ruishen becomes interior minister.
On November 1, the main political parties signed a new agreement, sponsored by UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar, for the formation of a government of technocrats.
Under the accord, representatives of the rebels and their rivals, the Sunni Al-Islah (Reform) Islamic party, mandated President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to form a government and committed to support it.
"It is a compromise agreed to overcome the question of sharing out ministerial portfolios between the various groups" behind the political stalemate, signatory Abdel Aziz Jubari of the liberal Justice and Construction party told AFP at the time.
In the wake of the new agreement, Benomar warned in an interview with AFP that without the rapid formation of a government, tensions between Shiites and Sunnis were likely to increase, sinking the country deeper into crisis.
On October 31, the rebels -- also known as Ansarullah -- increased pressure on Hadi by giving him 10 days to form a new government or face the creation of a "national salvation council".
With the exception of the October 13 appointment of Khalid Bahah as premier, the September 21 deal with the rebels had remained a dead letter.
Under the accord, the Huthis were to withdraw from Sanaa and disarm once a neutral prime minister is named.
Earlier yesterday, thousands of supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Shiite rebels took to the streets to protest threatened UN sanctions against the ousted strongman and insurgent chiefs.
Saleh, who stepped down in early 2012 after a year of Arab Spring-inspired protests, is seen as the main backer of the rebels.
