Yemen's Shiite rebels, who are in control of the capital, gave the president 10 days starting from today to form a government, hinting at a takeover attempt if their demands are not met.
The Shiite group, also known as Houthis, rallied some 30,000 tribal leaders in Sanaa, where they delivered a communique warning President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi that "all revolutionary options are open" if he failed to form a government.
"Our next meeting will be at the headquarters of the decision making," said Deif Allah Rassam, spokesman of the so-called Popular Tribal Alliance. A second speaker at the rally, Naguib al-Mansouri, called for the formation of a "salvation military council."
The government formation is part of a UN deal to reach a peaceful settlement to Yemen's political crisis. The deal stated that the president would appoint a new prime minister after consulting with two advisers, one representing the Houthis and a second representing Yemen's disgruntled southern region.
After naming a prime minister, the president, together with different political factions, would form a new cabinet which would present its program to parliament within a month. However, after the appointment of Prime Minister Khaled Bahah more than two weeks ago, disputes among the political factions have delayed the formation of the new government.
Hadi supported a proposal that gives the ruling party nine cabinet seats and other political parties another nine ministries, while the Houthis and the southerners each get six portfolios. Hadi meanwhile would personally appoint four "sovereign" ministries.
That proposal was rejected by the political parties who demanded one of two options: either all 24 factions that signed the UN deal receive a ministerial portfolio or else a cabinet of independent technocrats with no party affiliations be formed.
A presidential official told The Associated Press that Bahah rejects the technocrat cabinet proposal, believing that directly involving the political factions in the new government was the only way to ensure their lasting support.
