Saudi efforts to defeat the Houthis have been mostly unsuccessful in changing the course of the war. Sign up to receive the latest publications, event invitations, and our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox. Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us About the World, p. 196. When those in attendance finally agreed on a final few points, he launched into an impassioned speech that led to a spike in his popularity. In 2001, Gen Al Alimi became Minister of Interior and went on to become a member of the dominant General People's Congress in 2013 before taking on the role of presidential advisor to Mr Hadi a year later. According to other UN figures, around 375,000 people, or 1.25% of the total population, have been killed by wartime violence since 2015. [23] He was formally inaugurated as the president of Yemen on 27 February 2012, when Saleh resigned from the presidency and formally ceded power to Hadi.[24]. The eight-member council includes powerful figures in the military and political scenes some with boots on the ground in the ongoing civil war. https://www.deeproot.consulting/single-post/2019/11/25/The-Judiciary-in. [10] It should be noted that the existing framework for legitimacy is based on both a consensual political agreement and the constitution. The Kingdom of Yemen (colloquially known as North Yemen) became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1918 and in 1962 became the Yemen Arab Republic. [15] D'Entrves, Legality and Legitimacy, 688. 22 May 1990. Following his decision to step down, he was kept under a house arrest in his Riyadh residence and was not allowed to communicate with anyone. The main political actors justified bypassing the constitution for the sake of maintaining political consensus and avoiding armed conflict. Jimmy Carter's forgotten crisis in Yemen - Quality. Independence. Impact. Photo byAHMAD AL-BASHA/AFP via Getty Images, [1] Mohammed Alshuwaiter and Emelie Kozak, The Judiciary in Yemen: The Status Quo, Current Challenges and Post-Conflict Considerations (Deeproot. Who could be Nigeria's next president? More than half of Yemens population faces food insecurity, which was further exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine. Analysts say developments offer glimmer of hope for country devastated by seven years of war. On January 20, a coalition airstrike hit a telecommunication building in Hodeidah, destroying it, in an apparently disproportionate attack targeting critical infrastructure. https://peacemaker.un.org/yemen-transition-mechanism2011, [5] Charles Schmitz, Yemens National Dialogue (Middle East Institute, 2014), 3. https://www.mei.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Charles%20Schmitz%20Policy%20Paper.pdf, [6] Yemen's Houthis dissolve parliament Middle East Monitor, February 6, 2015, Accessed May 5, 2020.https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20150206-yemens-houthis-dissolve-parliament-form-transitional-body/, [7] Mohammed Hatem. Yemens laws explicitly permit corporal punishment of children in the home. Anything less would simply be repeating plans that have already failed, the writers argued. The Houthis detained Al Mansouri in 2015 and have been denying his requests for a hospital transfer since 2020. The Houthis preferred to retain him as president to legitimize their own actions and to avoid the perception of a coup, but within a month, Hadi had fled to Aden, withdrew his resignation, and nullified any decrees or appointments issued by the Houthis. A former army general from Yemens south, Hadi moved to the north amid political turmoil at home in 1986. Migrants in Yemen face severe human rights violations along the journey from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti to Saudi Arabia in search of work, with many held in inhumane conditions without adequate access to basic services and food. Blumi, Isa. [citation needed], Hadi was the sole candidate in the presidential election that was held on 21 February 2012. He served as governor of Aden from 2015 to 2017 by presidential appointment and dismissal. They may not be challenged before the institutions of the State.[3] The GCC Initiative gave itself preeminence over the constitution by stipulating the authority of the president, his government, and the Parliament. 4 (1963): 687-702. So far these have not been particularly well-represented in negotiations. The question of what would happen if President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi were to die has been an unspoken concern for the past several years. [38] Then the Yemeni cabinet was dissolved. Follow us on Twitter. [50] Officials from Saudi Arabia and Yemen claimed that Hadi was pushed by Riyadh to give up his power to the presidential council. He also sacked Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a powerful military figure, and delegated al-Ahmars powers to the presidential council. There has been virtually no accountability for violations committed by parties to the conflict. Gen Al Alimi has been up and down the ranks of Yemens government since the 1990s, serving as Yemen's former interior minister and deputy prime minister for security and defence. All parties to the conflict, including Houthi forces, the Yemeni government, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and various UAE and Saudi-backed Yemeni armed groups have arbitrarily arrested, forcibly disappeared, tortured, and ill-treated people across Yemen. [5] He was the vice president to Ali Abdullah Saleh from 1994 to 2012. 3, November 2019. He is also known for his strong anti-Houthi sentiments and has positive relations with Yemen's neighbouring countries and members of the Saudi-led coalition. President of Yemen - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia News release I 7 April 2023 [13] He returned to Aden in September 2015, as Saudi-backed government forces recaptured the city. Where does legitimacy lie in a country that has been divided, so far, between three separate actors: the Houthi movement (officially known as Ansarallah), backed by Iran, in Sanaa and the North; the Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the UAE, in Aden; and President Hadis legitimate government, backed by Saudi Arabia, in some of the western governorates, Marib, and Shabwa. The Houthis, on the other hand, have referred to their revolutionary legitimacy in the face of aggression from the Saudi-led coalition and the STCs efforts to restore the southern state. Despite the fragility of theagreement, it did give ordinary Yemenis some respite. Share this via WhatsApp The country is in the first week of a two-month UN-brokered truce. He added that many in the country hoped the announcement would usher in a new chapter in Yemens history. On 7 April 2022, in a televised address, Hadi resigned, dismissed Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, and transferred the powers of the president and vice president to the Presidential Leadership Council, with Rashad al-Alimi, former interior minister under President Saleh, as its chairman. . It should be noted that the legal criticism of the internationally recognized government does not in any way strengthen the legitimacy of the Houthis de facto authority in Sanaa, nor that of the STC in Aden. [9] Hatem, Yemen Parliament Members Loyal to Hadi Hold First Meeting.. Middle East Institute Even those who challenge his legitimacy have recognized it at some point. The Houthis did not immediately comment on Hadis announcement. On the evening of Jan. 22, 2015, Hadi, who had been put under house arrest by the Houthis, resigned. It enables government institutions to rule, enforce the law, and have a representative at the UN. Published On 15 Jun 2023 15 Jun 2023. . [3][5][1] He then became Chairman of the Supreme Security Committee and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defense and Security Affairs in May 2008, subsequently becoming a member of the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference, then adviser to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in 2014. Hadis announcement came as Yemeni talks called by the Saudi-based Gulf Cooperation Council entered their final day on Thursday. There were six presidents of North Yemen. Video Duration 09 minutes 58 seconds 09:58. Yemen crisis - World Health Organization (WHO) Negotiations failed mainly because of the Houthis, said Jens Heibach, a research fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, and an expert on Yemen. Theres a planned conspiracy, and alliances among the former stakeholders itching for revenge, Hadi said after Sanaa fell to the Houthis in 2014. A legitimate authority may be one that can provide salaries, basic services, and security, not one acting from exile for a long period of time. It considers the North-South representation, well as political and tribal alliances and regional support, mainly by Saudi Arabia. [1] Hadi was endorsed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative, the UN, the political agreement between the Yemeni parties, and the 2012 public referendum. [4], On 3 June 2011, during the Battle of Sanaa, al-Alimi was wounded along with Ali Abdullah Saleh during an attack on the Al-Nahdin Mosque in the Presidential Palace. However, Mwatana for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch found no evidence to support that claim. The UN special envoy condemned the attack. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues to call the situation in Yemen the worst humanitarian disaster in the world, one thatis further exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and resulting grain shortages. The Vice President of the Republic of Yemen is the second highest political position in Yemen. Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi ceded his powers to a new presidential leadership council, which will be tasked with running the government during a "transitional period." Hadi also. The majority of those in need of this assistance are women and children. [17][18][19], Hadi was born on 1 September 1945 in Thukain, Al Wade'a District, Abyan, a southern Yemeni governorate. . The cease-fire, first agreed in the spring and extended several times,lapsed in October when the two sides couldn't come to further agreement on it. [9] According to Article 72 of the constitution, For the meetings of the Parliament to be valid, it is necessary for more than half of its members to attend, excluding those whose seats were declared vacant.. However, the Houthis, a religious movement turned rebel militia, allied with Saleh and seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, forcing Hadi and his government into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Houthis named a Revolutionary Committee to assume the powers of the presidency, as well as unify with the General People's Congress, Hadi's own political party. [5] However, he remained in power after the expiration of his mandate, and on 22 January 2015, he handed over his resignation. More than 11,000 children have been injured or killed since fighting escalated in 2015, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund reported in mid-December. An expired truce still delivering positive results, and a recent mass prisoner exchange, are signs of hope in Yemen, but more work remains to end the war between the Saudi coalition-backed Government and Houthi rebels, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on Monday. [12] A basic principle of the law is that it does not depend on personal authority, but rather on the impersonal norm.[13]. Because the extension of Hadis presidency went against what was laid out in the GCC Initiative, Hadi and the interim government began a campaign to promote their concept of consensual legitimacy on television, billboards, and newspapers. The Houthi rebels are supported by Iran, and what was originally a domestic conflict has evolved into a larger international struggle between the two geopolitical rivals in the region, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Hundreds of Yemenis have been detained at official and unofficial detention centers across the country. In the first scenario, the vice president would temporarily take over the functions of president for a period of no more than 60 days. "They have consolidated their power in the north and that won't change any time soon," he said. Following the independence of South Yemen, he rose to prominence in the new military, reaching the rank of Major General. It has also created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. According to Article 114, an exception can be made "if the country is in a state of war or suffering a natural disaster or another emergency situation." "The Houthis were making maximalist demands. [30], The Yemeni military had suffered from sharp divisions since Major General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar defected in late March 2011 amid protests demanding the ouster of Hadi's predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh. It is unacceptable to grant Hadi or his successor a blank check to remain in office as president for an unspecified period of time without any accountability under the justification of war. According to the GCC Initiative, Hadis presidential term was set to run for two years, ending in 2014. On September 21, the UN announced it had raised sufficient funds to begin a four-month-long operation to transfer oil from the Safer to a secure vessel. [21], He remained loyal to President Ali Nasser Mohammed during the South Yemen Civil War, and followed him into exile in neighboring North Yemen. A photograph of a remnant from one of the munitions used in the attack included markings indicating that it was a laser-guided missile kit manufactured by the US defense contractor Raytheon. He also said that Yemen was facing "three undeclared wars" conducted by al Qaeda, pirates in the Gulf of Aden, and Houthi rebels in the north, and that Iran was supporting these adversaries indirectly without giving further details. Hadi has been in exile since 2015 and he rarely appears in public. President of Yemen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Politics of Yemen Member State of the Arab League Constitution Legal system Human rights LGBT rights Executive Presidential Leadership Council (in Aden ) Chairman : Rashad al-Alimi Deputy Chairman : Sultan Ali al-Arada Aidarus al-Zoubaidi Tareq Saleh In February 2015, the Houthis issued a constitutional declaration and dismissed the body. He was born in Taez, in 1954 and received his first years of education by his father, a judge. The president of the Republic of Yemen (Arabic: ) is the head of state of Yemen. [28] Blumi goes on to point out that "This would make bribing the few thousands of eligible 'residents' with a tiny portion of the oil revenue (no longer flowing to the central state) easy, while creating an enormous windfall for those hoping to steal Yemen's wealth. The following is a list of the heads of government of modern Yemen, from the establishment of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen in 1918 to the present day.. Yemen is in a tumultuous state since the start of the Arab Spring-related Yemeni Crisis in 2011; the crisis resulted in the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012, after 33 years in power. . Mohammed Alshuwaiter is a legal consultantspecialized in international law, human rights, and Yemeni law. Disputes over the register of voters maintained by Yemens Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendums delayed the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2009. The Republic of Yemen is a representative democracy where the people are the source of legitimacy. But the Houthi authorities rejected the proposal, prompting rare criticism by the European Union delegation to Yemen, which said that the EU deeply regrets a rejection by the Houthis of the latest proposal.. Hadi and the Saudis, on the one hand, have referred to this war as the battle of legitimacy to restore the states legitimate institutions captured by the Houthis in 2014. [31], Houthis, on their side, complained of murder attacks on their delegates to the NDC. He was previously the Vice President from 1994 to 2012. The legitimate government also depends for its survival to a great extent on international recognition and support, mainly from Saudi Arabia, which comes at the expense of its sovereignty. Hadi won with 100% of the vote and took the oath of office in Yemen's parliament on 25 February 2012. Yemeni Vice President Says Divided Yemen is the Solution - Explore 'War in Yemen' at . [11], President of Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen), "President al-Alimi receives crediting papers of Emirati Ambassador, praises Emirati support for Yemen", " - ", "Yemen's Post-Hybrid Balance: The New Presidential Council", Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Yemeni president's term extended, Shi'ite Muslim leader killed, Hadi affirms her presidential resignation final, Hadi affirms his presidential resignation final, "Yemen president sacks deputy, delegates presidential powers to council", "Yemen: Houthi, Saleh council formation criticised by UN", "Yemen Shiite Rebels Appoint an Ambassador to Iran for First Time", "Yemeni council head meets King Salman, crown prince in Jeddah", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=President_of_Yemen&oldid=1156038399, This page was last edited on 20 May 2023, at 22:35. Therefore, each side in the Yemeni conflict declares themselves to be the only legitimate authority and attacks the others in order to have moral and legal cover for their movement and gain more support. 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2023 - Foreign Policy - the Global Magazine Hadi took the helm of a crumbling state after Arab Spring protests in 2011 brought down Saleh, later killed in 2017 while trying to switch allegiances. Legitimacy is a very complicated concept comprising legal, political, and social aspects. In March 2013 the National Dialogue Conference was conceived as a core part of the transition process and is intended to bring together Yemen's diverse political and demographic groups to address critical issues. He graduated from Gamal Abdel Nasser High School in Sanaa in 1969. His candidacy was backed by the ruling party, as well as by the parliamentary opposition. Born in 1970, Mr Mujali is also a member of the General People's Congress. Since the UN Human Rights Council narrowly voted to end the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemens mandate in October 2021, there has been no alternative mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in Yemen and ensure accountability for abuses. [26] For many Yemenis, particularly in northwestern Yemen, this decentralization was less attractive. [37] Hadi and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah tendered their resignations to parliament which reportedly refused to accept them. Statements made to the press by the President of the Security Council The Houthis seized Sanaa with help from army units loyal to Saleh, forcing Hadi to share power. Following the independence of South Yemen, he rose to prominence in the new military, reaching the rank of Major General. Share Yemen: Briefing and Consultations Tomorrow (17 May), the Security Council will hold its monthly briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Yemen. Updated : 7 Apr 2022 01:43 PM (GMT) Yemen's exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has transferred his powers to a new presidential council, in a major political shake-up that took place as. Hadis successor would not have the same credentials. A U.S. weapons sale is raising doubts about Biden's promise to help end The 2011 GCC Initiative, endorsed by the UN, was designed to transfer presidential power to the vice president according to the constitution. All political parties participated to undermine legitimacy by going beyond the constitution. A military man, Maj Gen Saleh's involvement in battle included engagements in Hodeidah and Taez. Vice President of Yemen. Salehs army and government allies undermined the transition as al-Qaeda fighters carved out a mini-state and hit Sanaa with ever bloodier bombings. Also on 3 May, he met in Aden with the president of the Yemeni government's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad al-Alimi. On July 26, hundreds of Yemenis took to the streets in Taizz to protest the Houthi authorities refusal to open the main roads. From a practical perspective, those same political forces may not agree to any one of the three officials mentioned in the constitution. A total of $115 million is required for both stages. More than 42 children were apparently killed and injured by landmines and unexploded munitions between April and the end of June.