Aden (South24 Center)

Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), issued a package of 14 appointment decisions for Yemeni government institutions on Wednesday, September 10, in an unprecedented move since the PLC’s formation in April 2022.

The decisions included positions across ministries and government bodies, most notably the appointment of a deputy minister for information, culture, and tourism, an undersecretary for industry and trade, a chairman of the General Authority for Land, Survey, and Urban Planning, as well as deputy governors for Al-Dhalea, Lahj, Shabwa, Abyan, Socotra, and Al-Mahra governorates.

The appointments also extended to the oil sector through the selection of two deputy executive directors for Yemen Oil Company overseeing commercial and financial affairs.

This step comes amid escalating tensions between the STC and northern factions within the Presidential Leadership Council, where such decisions are traditionally issued exclusively by council chairman Rashad Al-Alimi following consultations with the seven other members.

Al-Zubaidi's direct exercise of appointment authority represents a shift in power dynamics within Yemen's internationally recognized government and reinforces the STC's role as an influential actor in state institutions.

Concurrently with the decisions, the STC issued a strongly worded political statement accusing certain power centers of attempting to marginalize the South, obstruct salary payments for civilian and military employees, and stall implementation of the 2019 Riyadh Agreement and 2022 Riyadh Consultations commitments.

The statement emphasized that the land belongs to the people of the South, and the decision is theirs, asserting that genuine partnership cannot be built on disregard or exclusion but rather on justice and full commitment to rights.

The timing of the statement alongside the decisions reflects, according to observers, the STC's transition to a more confrontational phase with its partners, following repeated accusations by STC leaders against council chairman Rashad Al-Alimi of monopolizing political decisions and excluding Southern representatives from decision-making processes.

The STC leadership had previously stated on multiple occasions that partnership within the Presidential Council had not translated into actual participation in state institution management.

During the Yemen International Forum held in Amman in February 2025, Nasser Al-Khobaji, head of the STC's Negotiations Affairs Unit, had pointed out that despite three years having elapsed since its establishment, the Presidential Leadership Council still lacked executive regulations defining its competencies among different authorities, and noted the absence of a clear vision for dealing with the Houthis politically, militarily, or economically.

In recent periods, the STC has faced accusations from its popular base of remaining silent on corruption and institutional paralysis within the Yemeni government. Economic conditions and service crises, particularly electricity, have triggered widespread protests across Hadramout, Al-Dhalea, and Aden.

In a televised interview on Wednesday evening, STC Political Bureau chairman Anis Al-Sharafi threatened that the Southern council would declare a state of emergency if Al-Zubaidi's recent decisions were obstructed. He stated that the Presidential Leadership Council urgently requires restructuring and reform.

No official response has been issued so far by other Presidential Council factions or the Yemeni government’s prime minister. The official state-run 14 October newspaper published the full text of Al-Zubaidi's recent decisions.

Notably, in late June, the Political Bureau of the National Resistance—led by Presidential Council member Tariq Saleh, issued statements accusing Rashad Al-Alimi of marginalizing his role and excluding his office from official meetings.