΄Aidarus Is Yemen’s New Oil Minister After Cabinet Reshuffle
Yemen named Amir al-΄Aidarus as the new Minister of Oil and Minerals replacing Khalid Bahah (minister since 2006) in a cabinet reshuffle announced on 19 May. Mr ΄Aidarous was formerly Yemen’s ambassador to France. Details of the reshuffle were given in Republican Decree 99 for 2008, issued by President ΄Ali ΄Abd Allah Salih on 19 May. The other new ministers are: Rashad al-'Alimi (Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs); Sadiq Abu Ras (Deputy Prime Minister for Local Authority Affairs); Yahya al-Shuaibi (Minister of Civil Service and Insurance); Ahmad Husain (Minister of Expatriates Affairs); Khalid al-Sharif (Minister of Parliament and Shura Council Affairs); Maj Gen Mutahar al-Masri (Minister of Interior); Muhammad Shamlan (Minister of Fisheries Wealth); Awadh al-Suqatri (Minister of Electricity and Energy); and ΄Abd al-Rahman Tarmum (State Minister, Director of Premier’s Office).
According to the Yemeni news agency Saba, the cabinet changes were “aimed at enhancing competence in the ministries.” In a report on 20 May the agency quoted a government official as saying that some of the ministers who had been dismissed in the reshuffle were accused of corruption and would be investigated by the Supreme National Anti-Corruption Commission, without mentioning any names.
Copyright MEES 2008.
