PRESIDENT OF YEMEN, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
Gunmen from the Houthi militia whisked away the office director of Yemen’s president in the capital Sanaa early on Saturday to stop him from presenting a draft of a new constitution to a presidential meeting,police sources told Reuters.

The seizure of Ahmed Awadh bin Mubarak, office director for President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, shows how wrangling between the country’s political and regional factions over the new constitution threatens to intensify political turmoil and insecurity.

The Houthi militia, which controls Sanaa, has denounced leaked details of the draft, which President Hadi has said will ensure the country does not fragment into two regions based on the former states or North and South Yemen.

The draft is a result of a national dialogue, aimed at easing a transition of power following mass street protests that led former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down in 2012.

The details leaked to Yemeni media indicated the new constitution instead retains a plan for a federal state divided into six regions, which both the Houthis and southern separatists believe would weaken. NEWSNOWAFRICA.COM

BOITI ADEYEMI