Amid a bloody rebel struggle and a crumbling central government, 13 of Yemen's main politial factions, including the Houthi rebels, signed an agreement Sunday mandating the country's prime minister and president to form a new governing body, Al Jazeera reports.
Outlining instructions for Prime Minister Khaled Bahah to select new ministers aided by the advice of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the rebels' agreement called for a new government informed by the "protection of human rights, rule of law and neutrality in the management of affairs of the country."
In an effort to quell massive civil unrest that's turned the country upside down in recent weeks, the move comes on the heels of a rebel ultimatum to the government on Saturday, giving it ten days to form new leadership before rebels left "all options open."
While it did not address a concrete time scale, sources part of negotiations leading up to rebel's final agreement said a new governing body would be expected within the coming week.
The last several months have seen a power shift in Yemen, particularly for the Houthis, who garnered support for an armed resistance during widespread protests over a dramatic increase in fuel prices.
In September, the Shia rebels stormed through the capital Sanaa in an armed campaign to take-over government buildings and topple leadership.
Their resistance was met with armed struggles with opposing tribes and al-Qaeda linked militants. Sanaa, by most accounts, has since spiraled out of control, with various factions jousting for power and a central government that's almost completely crumpled.
The Houthis pressed on to capture a number of key cities and villages before a UN-brokered accord last month mandated they disarm and disingage control of Sanaa once a neutral prime minister was named.
Now, the country's 15 most infunential political parties have signed and handed over the agreement to government leaders and say they also plan to include unrepresented parties in the formation of a new government by allowing them to nominate candidates for diffferent ministeries.
While many see the formation of a new government as a chance to disengage the armed struggle unfolding between the Shia Houthis and their mostly Sunni rivals, others believe the shift is just a thinly veiled attempt for the Houthis to gain more control within security and police forces.
