Yemen appoints finance minister as new PM

ADEN, Yemen, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) appointed Finance Minister Salem Saleh Bin Braik as the country's new prime minister on Saturday, following the resignation of Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak.

The decision, reported by state-run Saba news agency, came just hours after bin Mubarak stepped down, citing constitutional constraints and obstacles that hindered his reform efforts.

Bin Braik, who has served as the finance minister since 2019 and vice finance minister prior to that, has held several key financial and administrative roles throughout his career.

The official statement clarified that all current ministers would retain their positions, with bin Mubarak being appointed as an advisor to the PLC president. Bin Mubarak, in his resignation statement, highlighted the "numerous difficulties" he faced, including an inability to reshape the government and implement critical reforms due to limited constitutional powers.

Bin Mubarak, who took office in February 2024, had previously served as Yemen's foreign minister and ambassador to the United States. Yemen's civil war, which began in 2014 when Houthi forces took control of the capital Sanaa, continues to drive instability, with the internationally recognized government operating from Aden.