LONDON: Yemen’s prime minister, Shaya Al-Zindani, chaired his new government’s first Cabinet meeting in Aden on Thursday.
He had arrived on Wednesday in the city in southern Yemen, which is controlled by forces loyal to the internationally recognized government. The country’s capital Sanaa, in the north, remains under the control of the Houthi militia, which seized the city in 2014, sparking civil war.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council issued a decree this month for the formation of a new government, after the separatist Southern Transitional Council announced it would dissolve following talks in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Zindani, who also holds the office of foreign minister, assembled a 35-member Cabinet that includes strong representation from the south and east of the country, and three women. He vowed that the government, which has been based in Saudi Arabia, would return to Aden to carry out its work.
He told the meeting on Thursday that the government’s presence in Yemen would be “on the ground, living among citizens and working to improve living conditions and stabilize services,” Yemen’s state news agency, SABA, reported.
Cabinet members discussed short-term priorities, including the provision of essential services such as electricity, water, health and education, to people living in regions under its control, as well as the payment of salaries.
Al-Zindani said he was preparing a broad program covering the period until the end of the year designed to improve services and strengthen the economy of the country after more than a decade of civil war.
He added that the government would “give great attention to enhancing security and stability as a cornerstone for development.” Military and security decision-making will be unified under the supreme commander of the armed forces and the ministries of defense and interior.
The government has a “sincere commitment to a political solution” that would end the conflict with the Houthis and restore state institutions, Al-Zindani said.
He praised the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen for the support it has provided to his government and efforts to achieve peace.
The unity of the Presidential Leadership Council and support from the coalition had proved to be pivotal in efforts by government forces to successfully regain control of areas of southern and eastern Yemen after they were seized by Southern Transitional Council forces late last year, he added.
“What has been achieved is not a passing security event nor a victory for one party over another, but a victory for the Yemeni state, its institutions, its sovereignty, and its ability to achieve security and protect civil and social peace in accordance with the law,” Al-Zindani said of the offensive.
