Aden (South24) 

Yesterday, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) President Aidrous Al-Zubaidi restructured the council 6 years after its establishment in May 2017. 

Al-Zubaidi issued a number of decisions which included the restructuring of the STC Presidency, and the establishment of major bodies within the council including the Supreme Executive Leadership, and the Council of Advisors. 

He issued Decree No. (2) of 2023 that restructured the STC Presidency and appointed 3 senior deputies for Al-Zubaidi in addition to 23 Presidency members. 

Major Generals Abdulrahman Al-Muhrammi, Faraj Al-Bahsani, and Ahmed Saeed bin Break were all appointed as vice-chairmen of the STC.

Al-Muhrammi is the Commander of the "Southern Giants Brigades", and a member of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) along with Al-Zubaidi, and Al-Bahsani. Separately, Al-Muhrammi and Al-Bahsani hailed the success of the Southern Consultative Meeting (SCM). 

Moreover, Al-Zubaidi appointed senior officials in different Southern entities who participated in SCM as members of the restructured Presidency in the STC including Ali Haitham Ali Al-Gharib, Fadi Baoum, Abdulraouf Al-Saqqaf, and Aidarous Al-Yahri. 

Earlier yesterday, the Peaceful Southern Movement Council, led by Al-Gharib, and the Revolutionary Movement Councils (Hirak), led by Baoum, Al-Saqqaf, and Al-Yahri announced their merger with the STC. 

The Presidency membership list included the former post-Unity Defense Minister Major General Haitham Qassem Taher who was later sacked, and the senior security commander Major General Ali Nasser Lakhshaa. It also included prominent tribal leaders such as sheikh Abdulrab Al-Naqeeb and Sultan Abdullah Al Afrar in addition to former Al-Mahra Governor Rajeh Bakrit. 

Moreover, Al-Zubaidi appointed Ali Al-Kathiri, Amr Al-Bidh, Fadel Al-Jaadi, Mohammed Al-Ghaithi, Yahya Al-Shuaibi, Al-Khidr Al-Saeedi, Ali Al-Jabwani, Abdul Nasser Al-Jaari, Abdul Rahman Shaher, Salem Al-Qumairi, Kamal Hamshari, and Moamen Al-Saqqaf as members of the Presidency. 

Auxiliary bodies 

Al-Zubaidi issued Decree No. (3) of the year 2023 which appoints Nasser Al-Khobaji, as Head of the Political Authority and the Negotiations Affairs Unit, and Salem Al-Awlaki as Head of the National Media Authority.  

Furthermore, Al-Zubaidi appointed Murad Ali Muhammad Al-Halmi as Head of the Economic and Service Authority. He appointed other officials to lead the Community Authority, the Youth Affairs Authority, Women Affairs Authority, the Training and Rehabilitation Authority, the Relief and Humanitarian Aid Authority, the Research and Decision Support Center, and the Institutional Development Authority. 

The Supreme Executive Leadership 

Additionally, Al-Zubaidi issued Decree No. (4) of the year 2023 that established the Supreme Executive Leadership of the Presidency of the STC. 

The decree stipulated that the “Supreme Executive Leadership" includes in its membership the ministers of South in the power-sharing government, the governors of the governorates of South, and whomever the STC President deems appropriate to add to its membership". 

It added: "The members of the Supreme Executive Leadership shall have the rights, and duties of the Presidency members in exercising their duties". The decree said that "The STC President may add to membership whomsoever he deems appropriate from among the senior Southern officials in the central state bodies". 

Council of Advisors

Al-Zubaidi issued Decree No. (5) of 2023 which established the Council of Advisors of the STC Presidency that included 392 members. 

The decree said: "The Council of Advisors is considered a central consultative body for the STC President, Presidency, its central bodies, and STC's second Legislative Room along with the National Assembly". 

The Council of Advisors is considered the biggest supreme body within STC regarding the number of members after the Southern National Assembly. The decree pointed to the absorption of members of newly joined Southern entities as part of the Council of Advisors taking into consideration the geographical, and population distribution of South Yemen. 

Moreover, Al-Zubaidi appointed Saleh Al-Haj as Head of the Foreign Affairs Department after the successes he achieved as Head of the Internal Southern National Dialogue. Saad Mohammed was appointed as the Head of the Legal and Human Rights Authority. 

Consultative Meeting 

The political restructuring of STC came hours after the end of the SCM in Aden among the Southern political, civil, and community parties. 

The closing statement of the SCM said that "4 main documents were signed today by representatives of the Southern political parties, civil society institutions, and independents, foremost of which is the Southern National Pact (SNP)".

The "Draft Directions of the Political Vision for the Current Stage", the "Foundations and Controls for the Next Political Negotiation", and the "Foundations for Building the Next Federal Southern State" were also signed. 

Other decrees are expected to be issued regarding the restructuring of the military and security sides soon. 

The major openness moves and the broad changes in STC's structure have been widely praised. Observers considered them as a new birth for STC which is the most popular in Yemen especially since they came in the same month in which STC was established in May 2017. On the other hand, some of STC's opponents doubted the importance of these steps in comments seen by "South24 Center".