Awad bin Mubarak said in his first statement as head of government that he will work to achieve tangible results in the lives of every Yemeni (French)
Sanaa -
After months of disagreement between the forces that make up the anti-Houthi camp in Yemen, the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council appointed a new prime minister without changing its members, in an attempt to fix the deteriorating economic conditions and stop the collapse of the local currency.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak succeeded former Prime Minister Maeen Abdel Malik. Unlike his predecessor, Bin Mubarak relies on a legacy of working in the public service, which he began as Secretary-General of the National Dialogue Conference in 2012, director of the presidential office, and ambassador to the United States, before ascending to the Foreign Ministry.
In the city of Aden, the temporary capital of the government, from which Ben Mubarak hails, the appointment decision was not important to the Yemenis, except for the exchange companies that speculated on the currency, as the local currency (the riyal) improved slightly, and the price of the dollar recorded 1,520 riyals instead of 1,630, and the collapse of the riyal constituted One of the files that consolidated the overthrow of the former prime minister, who attributed the economic decline to the war in the country, the conflict between his government and the Houthi government to control customs and tax revenues, and the scarcity of resources.
I extend my great thanks and appreciation to the political leadership represented by His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi and the members of the Presidential Leadership Council for granting me confidence and issuing the decision to appoint me as Prime Minister at this important historical juncture for our beloved country.
Today I assume this position with determination and determination to achieve tangible results in…
- Ahmed A. BinMubarak (@BinmubarakAhmed) February 5, 2024
Compatibility finally
According to a government source who spoke to Al Jazeera Net, without revealing his identity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, “the decision to change the government was previously taken months before 2023, but the disagreements between the members of the Presidential Leadership Council ended with the dismissal of its president.”
The Presidential Command Council is considered the highest political authority in Yemen, and was formed in April 2022 from 8 members representing the military forces and parties that control areas not under the authority of the Houthis, and is headed by Rashad Al-Alimi.
Last week, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, whose president Aidaroos Al-Zubaidi is a member of the leadership council, threatened to prevent the government’s return to the city of Aden, which is under its control, but a change in the prime minister may make that possible.
Majed Al-Madhaji, head of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, a non-governmental research institution, says, “Bin Mubarak’s appointment is due to local dynamics that accompanied the establishment of the Presidential Leadership Council, where - at that time - affiliation to northern Yemen dominated the occupants of the first positions, which are the presidency of the Leadership Council and the presidency of the government.” And the presidency of the House of Representatives. This was a matter of controversy, and therefore there was an urgency to change the prime minister with a southern personality.”
He added to Al Jazeera Net, "This change is related to the internal competition within the Presidential Leadership Council, and the conflict between the parties over the issue of representing South and North Yemen in power."
This appointment may extinguish the flame of the Transitional Council’s anger over the recent deployment of the National Shield Forces, which are forces trained by Saudi Arabia and affiliated with the Chairman of the Leadership Council, Al-Alimi, in the areas under his control in Hadramaut Governorate, southeast of the country, in which he organized a massive demonstration last Saturday, which he described as millions, demanding an improvement in the living situation.
Escalation in the Red Sea
The escalating Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea cast a shadow over the Yemeni government, and it appeared unable to take a position on the current situation. Its presence inside Yemen as a legitimate authority declined in the face of the emergence of the Houthis, who now enjoy a popular presence internally.
But Al-Madhaji says, "The change of prime minister was not related to developments in the Red Sea. The details of this file are being discussed within a higher level of the government, specifically in the Presidential Leadership Council."
He points out that “Bin Mubarak’s position as a former ambassador to the United States may have an additional privilege in opening a back door to Washington’s political paths with the Yemeni government, with the aim of increasing coordination regarding the situation in the Red Sea, especially since the minister is classified as a radical towards the Houthis, and this may have an impact.” "Very important on the upcoming military scene."
Majid Al-Madhaji believes that Bin Mubarak’s relationship with the Houthis may affect the military scene (social networking sites)
A heavy legacy of corruption
The former Prime Minister's term was marred by accusations of corruption, and a report by a parliamentary fact-finding committee reported government violations, including corruption and mismanagement in the electricity, oil, communications, and financial sectors, amounting to about 1.9 billion US dollars.
In late October, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, Othman Majali, called for referring Abdul Malik and those included in the report to investigation, and canceling the agreements that affect Yemeni sovereignty. Member of Parliament, Ali Ashal, also accused the government of involvement in a corruption deal with an Emirati company, which he described as a “resounding scandal.” And wasting half a billion dollars.
But Abdul Malik then defended his government, saying that it had no source of income with the cessation of oil exports, yet it continued to pay salaries and provide public services.
Commenting on the appointment decision, Omar Muhammad Hassan, an academic at the Faculty of Information at the University of Aden, told Al Jazeera Net, "There is no real change. Corrupt ministers must be removed, but unfortunately the matter depends on party quotas that have destroyed the country."
For any change to be successful, it must not focus only on changing people, but it must also change the system represented by policies and visions.
If we bring the most intelligent person into a dysfunctional system, it will reproduce him to fit into it, unless he is one of those with determination who proposes to change the systems.
Dr.. Ben Mubarak: I wish you success. pic.twitter.com/YV29pkM0BO
- Dr. Muhammad Jumeh (@MJumeh) February 5, 2024
Re-export of oil
The government did not succeed in re-exporting oil and gas, which constitute 60% of the total revenues of the state budget, following the attacks launched by the Houthis on oil export ports at the end of 2022 with missiles and drones. The Houthis say that they will not allow any oil exports before reaching an agreement to share resources, while threatening The leader of the group, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, will target any oil port if export operations resume.
In addition to the government's inability to provide new sources of income that support the flow of foreign exchange to the central bank, the reduction in UN support threatens Yemen, whose 17.6 million people face food insecurity, while the effects of climate change, such as drought, floods, and water shortages, have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.
Al-Madhaji adds another important challenge, which is “the complexity that governs the relationship between the prime minister and 8 of the presidents - if the description is correct - who are members of the Presidential Leadership Council led by Al-Alimi.”
Source: Al Jazeera