Yemen’s MPs meet for first time since war began and urge Houthis to talk

Yemen’s parliament convened yesterday for the first time since civil war broke out in 2015, with President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi describing the session held in the south-eastern province of Hadramawt as “historic”.

In his address to MPs, Mr Hadi urged Yemen’s Houthi rebels to work towards peace.

“It is high time to stop your crimes – look at our torn country and displaced people,” Mr Hadi said. “Our country is yours. We extended our hand for peace, and we do that again today.”

The parliamentary session was held in the city of Sayoun under heavy guard by troops from Saudi Arabia, which is leading an Arab military coalition supporting Mr Hadi’s internationally recognised government against the Iranbacked rebels.

MPs elected Sultan Al Barakani, assistant secretary general of the General People’s Congress – founded by killed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh – as the speaker. Mr Al Barakani replaces Yahia Al Raee, who is among the MPs who remained in the capital Sanaa after it was seized by the Houthis in September 2014.

Yemen’s last parliamentary election was held in 2003 and its term expired in 2009, but fresh elections were postponed by Saleh. Following the 2012 uprising that forced him from office, the existing body was endorsed as a legitimate assembly under a GCC initiative to work with Mr Hadi until a new general election was held.

Members of parliament loyal to the Houthis and Saleh met in Sanaa, although without a quorum because its 301 seats are divided among the warring parties.

Mr Hadi managed to convene the parliament after several politicians loyal to Saleh defected from the Houthis and left Sanaa after the former president’s murder in clashes between loyalists and the rebels in December 2017.

Yesterday’s session was held with 138 MPs, who flew to Riyadh before being flown on to Sayoun.

Mr Hadi failed to hold a meeting of politicians since 2017, but calls by the Houthi leadership for elections in early February to replace at least 35 MPs who had died prompted the government to announce the relocation of the election commission to Aden, the southern port city where it is currently based.

Ambassadors from 19 different countries attended the parliament session in Hadramawt.

“This is an important step taken by the Yemeni government to reinvigorate legitimate government institutions,” US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.

“A reinvigorated Yemeni parliament will play an important role in advancing political and national reconciliation so the Republic of Yemen government, and all political parties, can better focus on meeting the needs of the Yemeni people,” she said.

Before the session, Houthi forces stormed the homes of some politicians in Sanaa and warned them against taking part in the parliament, the rebel-controlled Saba news agency reported on Wednesday.

It is time to stop your crimes – look at our torn country and displaced people... We extended our hand for peace ABDRABU MANSUR HADI President of Yemen