SANA’A: Yemen’s president has offered to appoint a new premier within 48 hours under a potential deal with Shia rebels in return for ending their protests, sources said yesterday, after a weeks-long stand-off.
A spokesman for the rebels, whose protests have raised fears of worsening unrest in the country, said they were considering the offer.
“An accord was reached... late on Wednesday” to end Yemen’s latest political impasse, by which “a new prime minister will be named within 48 hours” and fuel prices will be cut further, a presidency source said.
Another source in the office of President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi said it was an “understanding over an agreement that will be finalised by (UN envoy Jamal) Benomar”, who arrived in Sana’a yesterday.
GCC envoy Saleh Al Qunayeer has also arrived in Yemen “to back efforts to ease tensions”, a GCC statement said.
Hadi promised in an initiative rejected by the Huthi rebels earlier this month to name a new prime minister.
The rebels, known as Huthis or Ansarullah, had been demanding that Hadi consult them before naming a new premier. It was unclear if this has been agreed in the overnight accord.
Under the draft deal, the rebels are to “dismantle their protest camps and pull their armed men” from Sana’a and its surroundings, one of the presidency sources added. AFP
