Structure of the new Cabinet

SANA’A — A new republican decree released Wednesday evening Dec. 7, 2011 by the Prime Minister, Mohamed Salem Basundwa and Vice President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi revealed the structure of the new reconciliation government.

The new government, divided equally between the traditional opposition coalition and former ruling party, the GPC, included only two women and around half of the GPC’s former ministers.

Five ministers of the GPC remained in their relevant ministries and another two took up new ministries.

Similarly the Islah party, which is the strongest opposition party in the Joint Meeting Parties opposition coalition, held nearly one third of the opposition’s share. 

Moreover, independent and resigned politicians from the GPC held exactly one third of the opposition’s share. 

The youth of the country’s revolution squares were not represented nor was the Southern Movement or the Houthis, who all had rejected the Gulf Initiative from the beginning.  

This national reconciliation government composed of the two signatories to the initiative; the GPC and the JMP is expected to run the country for the three-month transitional period until the presidential elections take place on Feb. 21, 2012, after which it may or may not remain depending on the new president.