Two ministers eliminated from new formation due to corruptionCabinet reshuffle follows governors’ election [Archives:2008/1157/Front Page]

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May 22 2008

By: Yemen Times Staff
SANA'A, May 20 ) On Monday, President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued Republican Decree No. 99 for 2008, reshuffling the Yemeni Cabinet under Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar, who retained his post.

This comes only two days after controversial gubernatorial voting that resulted in electing new governors – almost exclusively from the ruling party – as the Joint Meeting Parties boycotted the vote, which was the first of its kind in Yemen.

Under the republican decree, former Interior Minister Rashad Al-Alimi will serve as deputy prime minister of defense and security affairs, while former Shoura Council member Sadiq Amin Abu Ra'as, who also served a lengthy term as local administration minister, was designated deputy prime minister of domestic affairs.

The president appointed Yahya Mohammed Al-Shuaibi, who was mayor of Sana'a until Saturday's gubernatorial elections, minister of civil service and insurance, replacing Hamoud Khalid Al-Sufi, who was elected governor of Taiz.

Ahmad Musa'id Hussein will be the new minister of expatriate affairs, while former chair of the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum Khalid Abdulwahab Al-Sharif took a new position as minister of Parliament and Shoura Council affairs.

Mutahar Rashad Al-Masri, who was Sa'ada governor until the gubernatorial vote, will assume the role of interior minister, while Mohammed Saleh Shamlan will be the new minister of fisheries.

According to the republican decree, Ahmad Salem Al-Aidarus was appointed minister of oil and minerals, Awadh Sa'ad Al-Suqatri minister of electricity and energy and Abdurrahman Mohammed Tarmum minister of state and manager of the prime minister's office.

Others such as Abdul Kareem Al-Arhabi, Abdulsallam Al-Jawfi, Abdulkarim Rasa', Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi and Noman Al-Souhaibi retained their posts as ministers of planning and international cooperation, education, public health and population, foreign affairs and finance respectively.

Article 2 of the republican decree states that the newly appointed Cabinet ministers will commence their positions from the date the decree is placed into effect and published in the official gazette.

Yemen's Saba News Agency quoted an official source in the Council of Ministers as saying that both Mustafa Bahran and Khalid Mahfoudh, who have been serving as the ministers of electricity and energy and oil and minerals respectively, were eliminated from the new government formation due to corruption charges filed against them at the Supreme National Anti-Corruption Authority, or SNACA.

A source requesting anonymity said the Council of Ministers will step up their efforts to improve performance in the various government ministries and institutions in cooperation with SNACA.

He added that any financial and administrative violations will be reported to the appropriate bodies in order to question such irresponsible officials, hold them accountable for violations they may have committed and take legal action against them.

“Corrupt officials and public fund embezzlers will face penalties according to the relevant law, under which SNACA was established,” the source maintained.

He went on, “No corrupt official may escape legal questioning or accountability because the Yemeni government won't allow irresponsible officials to remain in any of its institutions.”

Republican Decree No. 100 of 2008 was issued on the same day, declaring Nabeel Abdu Shamsan Al-Qadasi as deputy minister of civil service and insurance. A third Republican Decree No. 101 for 2008 appointed Abdulmu'min Mutahar as director general of the public electricity corporation.

President Saleh further appointed other senior officials – who have been serving as either governors or Cabinet ministers – as Shoura Council members. They are: Yahya Hussein Al-Arashi, Mutahhar Abdullah Al-Suaidi, Abdulwahab Mohammed Al-Rawhani, Abdulaziz Nasser Al-Kumaim, Ali Ali Al-Qaisi, Mansour Abduljalil Abdurrab, Abdulwahab Yahya Al-Durrah, Mohammed Abdullah Al-Harazi and Mohammed Ahmad Al-Ansi.
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