Yemeni national unity government sworn in

Yemeni national unity government sworn in

2011-12-11 03:14:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

SANAA (BNO NEWS) -- Yemen's national unity government was sworn in on Saturday in the capital of Sana'a, the official news agency SABA reported. It is hoped the new government will be able to restore peace and democracy.

The new government, which will lead the country during a three-month transition period until early elections are held in February, was worn in before Vice President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi at the Republican Palace. The ruling party and opposition parties evenly divided the 34 ministries.

Hadi had issued a decree on Wednesday for the new government which is expected to end 11 months of political turmoil. However, youth activists have rejected the new cabinet and called it a 'puppet government' which is working to save embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh from being held responsible for the alleged crimes committed against unarmed and peaceful protesters.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the swearing in of the unity government. "The Secretary-General calls upon all sides to work towards the full implementation of an inclusive Yemeni-led transition process, giving all Yemenis including women and the youth, a true stake in the country's future," Ban's spokesman said. "This will be essential for putting the country on a path towards restoring peace and stability, and to lay the foundation for economic recovery."

The formation of a unity government comes after Saleh signed on November 23 a political agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Under the accord, President Saleh agreed to hand over his powers to Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi who is expected to take over as Acting President by December 23.

The timetable set out in the agreement includes the formation of a government of national consensus, presidential elections within 90 days, a national dialogue, a constitutional review and a program of reforms that starts to tackle the profound humanitarian, economic and security challenges that Yemen faces.

Violence escalated after Saleh threatened with civil war after refusing, for the third time, to sign the GCC plan on May 22. Tensions further escalated when Saleh returned to Yemen after spending more than three months in Saudi Arabia to recover from injuries he sustained in a rocket attack which hit the mosque of the presidential palace in Sanaa on June 3.

Since the months of February and March, violent clashes between anti-government movements and security forces began as part of wide-range uprisings in the Middle East since the beginning of the year. The uprising against President Saleh has claimed at least 1,500 lives since February.

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