Sana’a: Yemen’s newly-appointed prime minster has asked Facebook users to recommend names for the new cabinet, shortly after major political parties mandated him and president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi to form a new government.
Hailing from the restive south, Khalid Mahfoud Bahah, the former ambassador to the United Nations, was named last month as a new prime minister following through a peace deal signed with the Al Houthi rebels.
Bahah told the social networking users on Saturday to assist him finding competent and dignified ministers.
“Participate, as a citizen, in nominating names of a government of technocrats and be part of the event,” Bahah said in a post on his new Facebook page that has 18,882 likes.
The post quickly generated thousands of likes and comments with some accounts proposed their favourite names for the new cabinet.
General Mahmoud Al Sobihi, the commander of Aden-based 4th Military Zone, was widely recommended for the ministry of defence. Other accounts advised Bahah to keep the current minster of interior, general Abdo Al Tarab.
But Mounir Al Mawari, a Yemeni journalist based in the US, advised the new prime minster not to reappoint any member of the outgoing cabinet.
“I suggest excluding all members of the outgoing government before anything else since it is a failed government.”
At the same time, some other Facebook accounts did not suggest names but hailed Bahah’s unprecedented move of taking this issue to social media.
“This man is great as he allowed the public participation in forming the government.” said Awadh Kashemimi, a journalist from the southeastern province of Hadramout.
Mohammad Anwar Bin Abdul Aziz said: “It is good using social networks to form a public opinion about this issue.”
Other users like Mohammad Bajrai humorously suggested naming former president as a minister of endowment and preaching.
Supporters of the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, recommended appointing Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh as a minister of defence. This suggestion is unlikely to be considered, as prospect members should be neutral and non-partisan.
Bahah was appointed as a new prime minister when Al Houthis refused nomination of Ahmad Bin Mubarak, Hadi’s secretary. In September, Al Houthis forced the outgoing prime minister Mohammad Salem Basindawa to resign in the wake of massive rallies against his government’s political policies.
