The Supreme Political Council (SPC; Arabic: المجلس السياسي الأعلى al-Majlis as-Siyāsiyy al-ʾAʿlā) is an executive body formed by the Houthi movement and the pro-Houthi faction of the General People's Congress (GPC) to rule Yemen. Formed on 28 July 2016, the presidential council consists of thirteen members and was headed by Saleh Ali al-Sammad as president until he was killed by a drone strike on 19 April 2018, with Qassem Labozah as vice-president. Presently the council is headed by Mahdi al-Mashat as Chairman. [1] The territory that it rules consists most of the former North Yemen (excludes Marib), which united with South Yemen in 1990.
Supreme Political Council | |
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المجلس السياسي الأعلى | |
Overview | |
Established | 28 July 2016 |
State | Yemen |
Leader | Chairman (Mahdi al-Mashat) |
Headquarters | Sanaa |
Website | yemen.gov.ye (dead) (27 April 2021 archive) |
The SPC carries out the functions of head of state in Yemen and is to manage Yemen's state affairs in a bid to fill in political vacuum during the Yemeni Civil War in 2015.[2] The Council aims to outline a basis for running the country and managing state affairs on the basis of the existing constitution.[3][1] Later, the SPC was also responsible for forming a new government led by Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour, known as the National Salvation Government.[4]
The members were sworn in on 14 August 2016.[5] On 15 August, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC) handed power to the Supreme Political Council.[6] The SPC remains internationally unrecognized and is acknowledged only by Iran, with the Houthis placing an ambassador to Iran in August 2019.[3][7][8] The formation of the SPC has been condemned by the international community, with United Nations officially describing the act as "a clear violation of the Yemeni constitution" and denouncing the council for sabotaging the Yemeni peace process.[3][9][10]
In the wake of president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and prime minister Khaled Bahah resignations over Houthi rebels takeover of presidential palace in January 2015, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi reportedly proposed a six-member "transitional presidential council" which would have equal representation from north and south, although this proposal was rejected by the Southern Movement.[11] Nevertheless, on 1 February, the Houthis gave an ultimatum to Yemen's political factions warning that if they did not reach a solution to the current political crisis, then the Houthi "revolutionary leadership" would assume formal authority over the state.[12] According to Reuters, political factions have agreed to form an interim presidential council to manage the country for up to one year. Former South Yemen president Ali Nasser Mohammed was originally being considered as a prospective interim leader, but Mohammed later declined the post.[13]
On 6 February 2015, the Houthis formally assumed over authority in Sanaa, declaring the dissolution of House of Representatives and announced that a "presidential council" would be formed to lead Yemen for two years, while a "revolutionary committee" would be put in charge of forming a new, 551-member national council.[14] This governance plan was later affirmed by Houthi Ansarullah politburo leader Saleh Ali al-Sammad as he said that national council would choose a five-member presidential council to govern the country.[15]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the following members of the SPC:[16]
Role | Name |
---|---|
Chairman | Mahdi al-Mashat |
Vice Chairman | Sadeq Amin Abu Rass |
Prime Minister | Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour |
Foreign Minister | Hisham Sharaf |
Defence Minister | Mohamed al-Atifi |
Interior Minister | Muhammad Ali al-Houthi |
Information Minister | Yahya Saree |
Member | Salih Mabkhout al-Nuaimi |
Member | Jaber Abdullah Ghaleb Al-Wahbani |
Member | Mubarak Saleh Al-Mishn al-Zaidi |
Member | Sultan Ahmed Abed Rabbo al-Samei |
Member | Khaled Mohammed Saeed al-Dini |
Member | Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi |
On 2 October 2016, Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour was appointed as Prime Minister by the Houthis.[4] On 4 October, he formed his cabinet.[17] The cabinet is composed of members of the Southern Movement.[18] However, the cabinet is not internationally recognized.[19]
On 28 November 2016, a new cabinet was formed.[20] It is only composed by members of pro-Saleh GPC and the Ansarullah Movement.
However, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the move was "a new and unnecessary obstacle. Yemen is at a critical juncture. The actions recently taken by Ansarullah and the General People's Congress will only complicate the search for a peaceful solution. The parties must hold Yemen’s national interests above narrow partisan ambitions and take immediate steps to end political divisions and address the country’s security, humanitarian and economic challenges." He further claimed that such an action could harm peace talks.[21]
On 27 October 2020, the Minister of Youth and Sport Hassan Mohammed Zaid was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the capital Sanaa.[22]
Office | Incumbent | Start | End |
---|---|---|---|
Prime Minister | Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour | 4 October 2016 | Incumbent |
Deputy Prime Minister for the Affairs of the Security | Jalal al-Rowaishan | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Deputy Prime Minister for the Affairs of the Service | Mahmoud Abdel Kader al-Jounaïd | 1 January 2018 | Incumbent |
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs | Hussein Abdullah Mkabuli | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Interior | Abdulhakim Ahmed al-Mawri | 13 December 2017 | Incumbent |
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation | Abdulaziz Al-Kumaim | July 2017 | Incumbent |
Minister of Information | Dhaifallah Qasim Saleh al-Shami[23] | 10 November 2018 | Incumbent |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | Hisham Sharaf Abdullah | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of State for National Dialogue Outcomes' Affairs and National Reconciliation | Ahmed Saleh al-Ganie | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Youth and Sport | Hassan Mohammed Zaid | 28 November 2016 | 27 October 2020[22] |
Minister of Legal Affairs | Abdulrahman Ahmed al-Mukhtar | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Education | Yahia Badreddin al-Houthi | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Civil Service and Insurance | Talal Aklan | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Shura Council | Ali Abdullah Abu Hulaykah | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Defense | Mohamed al-Atifi | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Industry and Trade | Abdu Mohammed Bishr | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister for Fisheries | Mohammad Mohammad al-Zubayri | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Justice | Ahmed Abdullah Akabat | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research | Hussein Ali Hazeb | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Social Affairs and Labour | Faiqah al-Sayed Ba'alawy | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Tourism | Nasser Mahfouz Bagazkoz | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Public Works and Highways | Ghalib Abdullah Mutlaq | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Water and Environment | Nabil Abdullah al-Wazair | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Petroleum and Minerals | Ahmed Abdullah Naji Dars | 1 January 2018 | Incumbent |
Minister of Electricity and Energy | Lutf Ali al-Jermouzi | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Local Administration | Ali Bin Ali Al-Kays | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Religious Endowments and Guidance | Sharaf Ali al-Kulaisi | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Expatriate Affairs | Mohammed Saeed al-Mashjari | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Finance | Saleh Ahmed Shaaban | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Communications and Information Technology | Musfer Abdullah Saleh Al-Numeir | 16 December 2017 | Incumbent |
Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation | Ghazi Ahmed Mohsen | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Technical Education and Vocational | Mohsen Ali al-Nakib | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Culture | Abdullah Ahmad al-Kibsy | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Transport | Zakaria Yahya al-Shami | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of Human Rights | Alia Faisal Abdullatif al-Shaba | 28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
Minister of State | Fares Mana'a Nabih Mohsen Abu Nashtan Radhiyah Mohammad Abdullah Aubayd Salem bin Dhabia Hamid Awadh al-Mizjaji Abdulaziz Ahmed al-Bakir |
28 November 2016 | Incumbent |
The National Salvation government has diplomatic relations with only a few countries, in particular Iran. Additionally, the government has diplomatic contacts with Abkhazia, North Korea and Russia. In 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported that the government would seek contacts with China, Iran and Russia.[24] In 2016, a National Salvation government official had invited several North Korean diplomats to Damascus.[25] The same year, a delegation of the National Salvation government visited Russia and met the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.[26] In 2017, foreign minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah met with the chargés d’affaires of the Russian and the Syrian Embassy in Sanaa.[27][28] In August 2019, the National Salvation government appointed an Ambassador to Tehran.[29][30] In early 2020, the Saba News Agency reported that Hisham Sharaf Abdullah called China a "friendly government".[31] In October 2020, Iran appointed an Ambassador to Sanaa.[32][33][34] Two months later, the United States sanctioned the Iranian Ambassador to Sanaa.[35] In August 2020, the National Salvation government appointed an Ambassador to Damascus.[36] In March 2021, the National Salvation government appointed Ambassador in Damascus met with the Abkhaz Ambassador to Syria.[37] In October 2023, Syria expelled representatives of the National Salvation government from the Yemeni embassy in Damascus.[38]
The President, the Parliament Speaker and the Foreign Minister of the National Salvation government have sent numerous diplomatic notes to a wide range of countries such as Algeria,[39] Bahamas,[40] Comoros,[41] Kiribati,[42] Malawi,[43] Malta,[44] Mongolia,[45] Montenegro,[46] Slovenia,[47] South Sudan[48] and Venezuela.[49]