Less than 24 hours after he was appointed by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Yemeni Prime Minister-Designate Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak has resigned from the post.
The Houthi rebels, which control the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa, had spurned Mubarak’s appointment, accusing the US of pushing for him as a candidate. Leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi called a national protest to “correct the mistake” earlier this afternoon.
“What Yemen needs now is an independent who can have the responsibility in carrying Yemen through this transitional phase,” Houthi said, saying he had previously received assurances Mubarak was not under consideration.
Mubarak’s resignation came almost immediately after the Houthi speech, suggesting he was unwilling to put himself out as the Hadi government’s public figure of opposition to the protest movement and the Houthi fighters backing it.