Aden (South24 Center)

A government source told South24 Center that Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council has initiated steps to validate the 14 appointment decisions issued by Council member Aidrous Al-Zubaidi in September, marking a new development after weeks of internal Council tensions.

The source explained that the Presidential Office sent an official letter to Prime Minister Salem bin Breik requesting coordination with the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Human Rights to complete the legal procedures for these decisions.

A copy of the correspondence reviewed by South24 Center shows that Presidential Office Director Yahya Al-Shuaibi asked the government to process the decisions "as issued." The appointments include positions at the levels of deputy minister, head of authority, undersecretary of ministry, deputy governor, and deputy executive directors of the Yemeni Oil Company.

Al-Zubaidi's decisions, issued on September 10, included appointments of a deputy minister for Information, Culture, and Tourism; an undersecretary for the Ministry of Industry and Trade; a president of the General Authority for Lands, Survey, and Urban Planning; deputy governors for Al-Dhale', Lahj, Shabwa, Abyan, Socotra, and Al-Mahra; as well as two deputy executive directors for the Yemeni Oil Company overseeing commercial and financial affairs.

This move represents the first practical step following weeks of review by the legal team supporting the Presidential Council regarding decisions issued by Al-Zubaidi, as well as those issued by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi since the Council's establishment in April 2022.

Al-Zubaidi and Southern members of the Presidential Leadership Council had previously raised concerns about unilateral decisions issued by Al-Alimi since the Council's formation. Al-Zubaidi's decisions were widely viewed as a response to these oversteps by the Council chairman.

The government source did not clarify the outcomes of the legal team's work regarding Al-Alimi's decisions to date. Additionally, the current status of the other decisions by Al-Zubaidi that were not officially announced in September remain unclear.

Al-Zubaidi's decisions had prompted mediation efforts led by Saudi Arabia to prevent the escalation of disagreements within the eight-member Council. The Council held a meeting in Riyadh on September 18, directing its legal team to review all decisions issued by the Council's chairman and members since April 2022.

The legal team convened on October 7, affirming that unilateral decisions contradict the power transfer declaration issued in April 2022. However, it refrained from validating or canceling any decisions, instead requesting additional documentation from both Al-Zubaidi and Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi.

The latest development appears to indicate a consensus-based approach aimed at reducing tensions and preventing administrative paralysis within government institutions, as the Council faces internal disagreements regarding authorities, appointments, and the absence of executive regulations governing its operations.

No official comment has been issued by Al-Alimi or other Council members at the time of reporting.