SANAA
Yemen's president on Sunday signed a deal aiming at bringing to an end his country's political crisis with the Shiite Houthi movement.
The deal was signed in the capital Sanaa in the presence of the country's political forces and United Nations Advisor on Yemen Jamal Benomar.
Houthis refused, however, to pull out of the Yemeni capital, where they have been staging continual protests for more than three weeks now.
In the light of the agreement, a new government would be formed in Yemen within three days, whereas President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi would select a nonpartisan prime minister to lead this government, according to presidency sources.
It also stipulates the formation of a government of technocrats within 30 days, reducing fuel prices, forming an economic committee a week after the formation of the government to find means to alleviate the economic sufferings of Yemenis, and appointing a Houthi advisor to the president.
The agreement also stipulates the removal of sit-in tents set up by Houthis in the capital Sanaa.
Houthis refused, however, to sign a security appendix to the agreement, the source said.
The appendix includes the need for Houthis to hand over institutions they controlled in the capital, one of the presidency sources told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.
He added that the appendix also makes it necessary for Houthis to pull out of the northern province of Amran, which they have been controlling for about three months now.
The source noted that the appendix also calls for suspending Houthi-Yemeni army clashes in the northern province of Al-Jawf and the eastern province of Maarib.
The signing of the agreement came hard on the heels of the resignation of Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa who accused the Yemeni president of staging a one-man show at the presidency and refusing to share power with the prime minister.
Addressing assembled political forces at the signing ceremony late on Sunday, United Nation Advisor on Yemen Jamal Benomar called for suspending violence on all sides to the conflict in Yemen.
The Yemeni President, meanwhile, described the agreement as a basic document for all political forces on the way of stability and peace in his country.
Houthis have been staging continual protests in the capital Sanaa for more than three weeks now, calling for the resignation of the government and cancelling out a previous government decision to slash fuel subsidies.
On Sunday, Houthi militants controlled the Defense Ministry headquarters as well as the Central Bank headquarters in the capital Sanaa.
Yemen has been suffering growing turmoil since the downfall in 2012 of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
By Ali Oweida
www.aa.com.tr/en
