Supreme Political Council

Supreme Political Council
المجلس السياسي الأعلى
Overview
Established28 July 2016 (2016-07-28)
PolityHouthi-controlled territories of Yemen
LeaderChairman (Mahdi al-Mashat)
HeadquartersSanaa
Websiteyemen.gov.ye (dead)
(27 April 2021 archive)

The Supreme Political Council (SPC; Arabic: المجلس السياسي الأعلى al-Majlis as-Siyāsiyy al-ʾAʿlā) is an executive body formed by the Houthi movement and the pro-Houthi faction of the General People's Congress (GPC) to rule Yemen. Formed on 28 July 2016, the presidential council consists of thirteen members and was headed by Saleh Ali al-Sammad as president until he was killed by a drone strike on 19 April 2018, with Qassem Labozah as vice-president. Presently the council is headed by Mahdi al-Mashat as Chairman. [1]

The SPC carries out the functions of head of state in Yemen and is to manage Yemen's state affairs in a bid to fill in political vacuum during the Yemeni Civil War in 2015.[2] The Council aims to outline a basis for running the country and managing state affairs on the basis of the existing constitution.[3][1] Later, the SPC was also responsible for forming a new government led by Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour, known as the National Salvation Government.[4]

The members were sworn in on 14 August 2016.[5] On 15 August, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC) handed power to the Supreme Political Council.[6] The SPC remains internationally unrecognized and is acknowledged only by Iran, with the Houthis placing an ambassador to Iran in August 2019.[3][7][8] The formation of the SPC has been condemned by the international community, with United Nations officially describing the act as "a clear violation of the Yemeni constitution" and denouncing the council for sabotaging the Yemeni peace process.[3][9][10]

  1. ^ a b "Saba Net – Yemen news agency". 6 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Yemen: Ansar Allah signs agreement with Saleh's party creating supreme political council – Middle East Confidential". 29 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Yemen: Houthi, Saleh council formation criticised by UN". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Yemen's Houthis ask former Aden governor to form government". Reuters. 2 October 2016. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Saba Net – Yemen news agency". Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Saba Net – Yemen news agency". Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Yemen Shiite Rebels Appoint an Ambassador to Iran for First Time". Bloomberg. 18 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2019 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  8. ^ "North Korea's Balancing Act in the Persian Gulf". HuffPost. 17 August 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Yemen: Houthi, Saleh council formation criticised by UN". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  10. ^ "UN criticizes Houthi, Saleh council formation". Yemeni Media Center. 29 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023.