Yemeni Officials Warn of Corruption Accuse Presidential Leadership Council of Inefficiency and Failure

Criticism of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) has intensified in recent years, fueled by public demands for basic services and shifting international dynamics linked to the country’s ongoing crisis.

Reform Party: Disappointing Performance

Abdul Razzaq Al-Hijri, a senior member of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah Party) and head of its parliamentary bloc, described the PLC’s performance as “deeply disappointing” during remarks at the third Yemen International Forum, organized by the Sana’a Center for Studies in Jordan.

Al-Hijri outlined Islah’s vision to revitalize the PLC, emphasizing the need to empower local authorities, streamline state revenues, and halt the misuse of public funds. However, he criticized the “clash of political agendas” within the PLC, noting that some factions view the current moment as an opportunity to advance their own political projects—a veiled reference to the Southern Transitional Council (STC),a key partner in the leadership body.

He highlighted existential threats, including the Houthi group,　the failure to prepare Aden to function effectively as Yemen’s interim capital, and incomplete implementation of the Riyadh Agreement—particularly its military provisions. Al-Hijri accused the PLC of operating in a “semi-nomadic” manner, failing to unify military forces under its command, and obstructing parliamentary sessions inside or outside Aden.

“Many of the PLC’s mandated tasks remain unfulfilled,” he said, attributing this to internal divisions. “Instead of pursuing projects to rebuild Yemen, parties have prioritized quota-based power-sharing, with each faction seeking to fill voids with their own loyalists.”

Transitional Council: Leadership Council Has “Completely Failed”

Nasser Al-Khubaji, head of the STC’s Political Bureau, launched a scathing attack on the PLC during the same forum, accusing it of “total ineptitude, paralysis, and failure” to achieve any meaningful progress since assuming power.

Al-Khubaji, who advocates for southern Yemen’s secession, claimed the PLC had failed to draft governance frameworks regulating its relationship