SANAA: Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi resigned on Thursday after Al Houthi rebels failed to honour an agreement to withdraw from the presidential palace, adviser Sultan Al Atwani said. Other presidential advisers confirmed that Hadi, a key US ally in the fight against Al Qaida, had stepped down.
The announcement came shortly after Prime Minister Khalid Bahah tendered the resignation of his cabinet, saying he did not want to be held responsible for the deepening lawlessness gripping the country.
The resignations came as the UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Bin Omar met with representatives from the Al Houthis and other political factions to try to implement a deal reached on Wednesday to end the crisis.
Al Houthi militiamen maintained a tight grip on Yemen’s capital Sana’a on Thursday with fighters deployed around the presidential palace despite the deal to end what authorities called a coup attempt.
Hadi’s abducted chief of staff remained in the hands of the Al Houthi militia, which took control of most of Sana’a in September after sweeping south from their stronghold in the northern highlands.
Under a nine-point deal struck late on Wednesday, the militia pledged to withdraw from government buildings they seized this week during two days of violence that left at least 35 people dead and dozens wounded.
In return for concessions over a disputed draft constitution, they agreed to vacate the presidential palace, free top presidential aide Ahmad Awad Bin Mubarak, withdraw from areas surrounding the residences of Hadi and Bahah, and abandon checkpoints across the capital.
The Al Houthis agreed with Hadi to “normalise” the situation in Sana’a, calling for people to return to work and schools to reopen. However, on Thursday the terms of the agreement had yet to be implemented
Yemeni parliament rejects president’s resignation
Yemen’s parliament rejected the resignation offered by the President, Al Arabiya Television reported. Al Arabiya also said the parliament would hold an emergency session on Friday.
