Yemen's new prime minister spurs hope amid dangerous political standoff

Yemen's president on Monday appointed a diplomat and former oil minister as prime minister after securing approval from Islamists as well as Zaydi Houthi rebels who control the capital ­— a move that analysts say marks a potentially promising breakthrough amid the dangerous political paralysis in Yemen, where the United States has been waging a drone campaign against the country's Al-Qaeda branch.

The appointment of Khaled Bahah, Yemen's ambassador to the United Nations, was backed by rival political factions including the Houthis, who seized control of capital Sanaa last month, and leaders of Hirak, Yemen's southern separatist movement. The Houthis say they are seeking a broader government that includes their representatives and southern Yemenis, who have long sought greater political representation. 

Bahah will have 30 days to form an inclusive government following his appointment by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, state media reported.

Zaydi Houthi leaders, who have controlled the capital for weeks, issued a statement saying they welcome the appointment of Bahah. Last week the Houthis rejected Hadi's initial choice, presidential adviser Ahmed bin Mubarak, for the prime minister post, leading him to withdraw his nomination.

Hadi's first pick was widely viewed as a power grab by the president, according to Adam Baron, a London-based writer and Yemen expert who says there was more of a consensus with Bahah's appointment. 

Bahah served as an oil minister under former President Ali Abdullah Saleh  — who was ousted by a 2011 uprising inspired by the Arab Spring  — but was removed for being anti-corruption, solidifying his reputation among Yemenis as an honest and respected politician, according to Baron.

"I think [his appointment] represents a key step and is reason for cautious optimism. Khaled Bahah is a clean, independent politician who is widely respected in Yemen," Baron said.

"That being said, the country continues to face nearly insurmountable challenges, ranging from the formation of a new cabinet to restoration of the central government's control, which has effectively disintegrated in much — if not most — of the country."

Bahah, 49, is from Yemen's southeastern Hadramawt region, known for its extensive business connections with Saudi Arabia. The former ambassador to Canada studied banking and graduated from an Indian university.

Analysts say his appointment could attract much-needed investment to Yemen, which ranks among the poorest nations in the Arab world.

"He’s very close to the Hadhrami [from Hadramawt] business community in Saudi Arabia, so his selection will help attract Yemeni capital from abroad. We need a prime minister who can work closely with Saudi Arabia because it's the largest donor of Yemen's budget," said Abdul-Ghani al-Iryani, a Sanaa-based political analyst. Many of Saudi Arabia’s Hadhrami are powerful in the business world. 

Bahah's appointment is part of a peace deal brokered by the United Nations after Houthis seized Sanaa and took over army posts and a number of state institutions last month. Under terms of the deal, Hadi was to select a new prime minister after securing a consensus among various political factions.

Houthis, their rival Islah party and representatives of the southern movement signed the deal.

According to Iryani, Bahah's appointment will be looked at positively by southern separatist leaders, who viewed the Houthi rejection of Mubarak — also a southerner — as a hostile act.

"The fact that we now have a southern prime minister is useful and will do a lot to allay fears of southern Hirak. In addition, his nomination was proposed by the Houthis. So his appointment is good all around," Iryani said.

Yemen has faced a difficult transition since Saleh's ouster in 2011. Hadi, who has U.S. backing, faces challenges on several fronts including from southern separatists, Houthis and the presence of an Al-Qaeda branch in the south that the United States has been battling with a drone campaign.

Mohammed Abbas, a spokesman for the Yemeni embassy in Washington, D.C., said Bahah is "quite brave" to accept the post given Yemen's political turmoil.

"I think his appointment is a good sign. But he has to actually prove that he's up to the challenge," Abbas said.

Bahah's appointment means Yemen will have its first new prime minister in two years, after Mohammed Salem Bassindwa was forced out last month. Bassindwa was criticized for the country's deteriorating security situation and for being too close to the Islah party — the Muslim Brotherhood's branch in Yemen.

For some Yemenis, the Houthis' rise to power represents a promising alternative to Islah, widely viewed as corrupt, Baron said.

With The Associated Press