Sanaa: A government of unity will be
announced in Yemen before Sunday, the opposition said, in line
with a peace deal that is to see President Ali Abdullah Saleh
step down from power.
"There is a deal with the ruling party on the distribution
of posts. Forming a cabinet will be very easy," Mohammed
Qahtan, spokesman for the parliamentary opposition coalition,
said.
The government will be announced on Friday or Saturday,
he added.
Opposition chief Mohammed Basindawa was charged on Sunday
with forming a government tasked with overseeing a 90-day
interim period until Saleh`s agreed departure in February.
The peace deal, agreed under the auspices of the Gulf
Cooperation Council in Riyadh last week, is meant to end 10
months of crisis that has led to violent protests and intense
street fighting across Yemen.
In it, the opposition is to evenly share cabinet
portfolios with Saleh`s ruling party.
According to Qahtan, the posts to fill were handed out by
lottery with the opposition ending up with the ministries of
interior, finance, cooperation, information and human rights.
Saleh`s ruling party is to keep the ministries of defence,
foreign affairs, oil, telecommunications and civil services.
"The forming of a cabinet will be very easy" as the Gulf
deal stipulates that each party accept the nominations of the
other, Qahtan said.
Another opposition source said the two groups would
meet on Saturday to reveal their choices to fill the ministry
posts.
The new government will enter office swearing-in to Vice
President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, to whom Saleh transferred
effective power in accordance with the Gulf-brokered deal.
Saleh, 69, has ruled Yemen for 33 years and signed a deal
mediated by Gulf Cooperation Council states in which he agreed
to step down in return for immunity from prosecution for
himself and his family.
Today, more than 13 people were killed in clashes between
forces loyal to Saleh and dissident tribesmen in the country`s
second-largest city Taez.
PTI
