Sana'a, Yemen - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered
a cabinet reshuffle Monday, appointing six new ministers as part of
government reforms promised after a wave of violent protests in the
south of the Arab state, state media reported.
The portfolios affected by the reshuffle were oil, interior,
electricity, civil services, expatriate affairs and fisheries, the
official Saba news agency said.
Saleh named Yemen's ambassador to France, Ameer Aidarous, as oil
minister to replace Khaled Bahah, who has held the post since 2006.
Mutahar al-Masri, governor of the restive north-western Saada
province, where government forces have been fighting Shiite rebels
since 2004, was appointed interior minister.
Al-Masri replaced Rashad al-Alimi, who was cut loose from the
portfolio but kept his position as deputy prime minister for security
and defence affairs.
Other changes included the appointment of Awad al-Swqatri as
electricity minister to replace Mustafa Bahran, who will keep his
post as Saleh's advisor for nuclear energy affairs.
Saleh axed Expatriate Affairs Minister Saleh Sumaea and Fisheries
Minister Mahmoud Saghiri and gave the two portfolios to Ahmed Musaead
Hussein and Muhammad Saleh Shamlan, respectively.
Sana'a's former mayor Yahya al-Shuaibi was named minister of civil
services and securities.
Sadiq Ameen Abu-Rass, former governor of the southern Taiz
province, was appointed deputy prime minister for local authority
affairs.
Two other state ministers were also appointed.
All the newcomers are members of Saleh's ruling General People's
Congress (GPC).
The reshuffle comes two days after the GPC dominated the country's
first ever-elections of provincial governors, amid an opposition
boycott.
The GPC on Saturday won the governorships of the capital Sana'a
and 17 provinces, while three independents were elected as governors
in three other provinces.
Prompted by a series of violent protests and discontent among
incumbent governors in southern provinces, Saleh promised on April 10
to introduce several administrative reforms, including the election
of provincial governors.
Headed by Ali Mujawar, the government was appointed by Saleh in
April 2007, yielding to pressure from international donors for
reforms.
Saleh ruled North Yemen for 12 years before taking the helm of the
entire country after North and South Yemen merged in 1990.
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