CABINET SHAKE-UP: BIOGRAPHIES FOR NEW MINISTERS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 SANAA 000389 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV YM INR DOMESTIC POLITICS SUBJECT: CABINET SHAKE-UP: BIOGRAPHIES FOR NEW MINISTERS REF: SANAA 342 ¶1. On February 11, President Saleh announced a dramatic reshuffling of his 34-member cabinet (reftel). The reshuffle included changes to 22 ministerial portfolios, 15 of which went to individuals not previously in the government. Among the new faces are two women, now heading the Ministries of Human Rights and Social Affairs. ¶2. Biographic information on the 15 new ministers is listed below. More detailed biographies and an analysis of the new cabinet's anticipated impact on economic, social, and security policy will be provided septel. -------------- Biographical Information for New Ministers -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. Minister of Finance: Dr. Saif Mahyoub al-Asali -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: 1956 Place of Birth: Taiz English: Good Education: PhD Economics, United States Experience: - Assistant Minister of Finance for Revenues - 2000 Board of Directors, Yemenia Airline - Professor of Economics, Sanaa University -------------- -------------- ¶4. Minister of Oil and Mineral Wealth: Khaled Mahfouz Bahaj -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: 1965 Place of Birth: Hadramout English: Good Education: - Masters, Business Administration, Bona University, India Experience: - Financial and Administrative Manager, Arab Yemen Company - Chief Supervisor for Human Resources Director, Canadian Nexen, 1999-2005 -------------- -------------- ¶5. Minister of Social Affairs and Labor: Dr. Amat al-Razaq Ali Humad -------------- -------------- Date of birth: unknown Place of Birth: Hodeidah English: Poor Education: - PhD, Education Philosophy and Teaching Methods, Ein Shams University, Egypt, 1987 Experience: - Associate Professor, Education Department, Sanaa University - Head of Arab and Islamic Studies, Education Department, Sanaa University - Head of Higher Studies and Scientific Research, Education Department, Sanna University - Visiting Professor, Arab Studies Department, Georgetown University - Participant, Arab Women's Forum, Damascus, 2003 - Head, Curriculum Team for preparing the National Strategy for Basic Education - Member, Arab Education Union - Member, Egyptian University, Curriculum and Teaching Methods - Assistant Secretary for Women's Sector, General People's Congress -------------- -------------- ¶6. Minister of Human Rights: Khadijah Ahmed al-Haisami -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: unknown Place of Birth: unknown English: Poor Education: - PhD, Political Science, International Relations, Egypt University Experience: - Professor, Political Science, Sanaa University - Deputy Director, Women's Studies Center, Sanaa University - Coordinator, Women and Development, Women's Studies Center - Consultant, National Environment Protection Council - Board member, Yemeni Olympic Committee - Member, National Organization for Election Monitoring -------------- -------------- ¶7. Minister of Information: Hassan Ahmed al-Lawzi -------------- -------------- Date of birth: 1952 Place of birth: unknown English: unknown Education: - Graduate, Sharia Law, al-Azhar University, Cairo Experience: - Central Organization for Control and Audit (COCA) - Undersecretary, Ministry of Information, 1980 - 1990 - Participated in the establishment of the General People's Conference, 1982 - Editor in Chief, Al-Mithaq newspaper, 1982-1990 - Founding member, Yemeni Journalist Syndicate - Minister of Culture, 1990 - Minister of Information, 1993 - Ambassador to Jordan, 1994 - Shura Council, appointed 2001 -------------- -------------- ¶8. Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation: Dr. Jalal Ibrahim Fakaira -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: May 28, 1968 Place of Birth: Hodeidah English: Good Education: - PhD, International Relations, Baghdad University, 1999 Experience: - Assistant Professor, Political Science, Sanaa University - General Director, Office of the Prime Minister, 2005 - General Director, Scholarships Department, Ministry of Higher Education - Vice President, Yemeni Political Science Association - Assistant General Secretary, National Organization for Elections Monitoring - Chairperson, Technical Team of Human Rights Committee - Participant, Youth Leadership Program, USAID, 1990 - Participant, Fulbright American Institute course, 2004 -------------- -------------- ¶9. Minister of Public Health and Population: Abdul Karim Ras'e -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: November 3, 1958 Place of Birth: Haja English: unknown Education: PhD, Pediatrics, Cairo University Experience: - World Health Organization, Counterpart Expert, 1985-1986 - Assistant Professor, Medical School, Sanaa University - Head of Pediatrics Department, Sanaa University, 1993-1997 - Undersecretary for Services, Ministry of Health, 1997-1999 - Associate Professor, Pediatrics Department, Sanaa University, 1999-2003 - President of Aden University, 2003-2006 - Member, Executive Council, Union of Arab Universities, 2004 - Head, Yemeni Pediatricians Association, 2004 - Head, Arab Pediatrician Union, 2005 -------------- -------------- ¶10. Minister of Fisheries: Mahmoud Ibrahim Sagheri -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: 1949 Place of Birth: Hodeida English: unknown Education: - Bachelors, Construction Engineering, Technical Institute, Syria - Diploma, Computers, Technical Institute, Syria Experience: - Editor-in-Chief, Al-Aklel Magazine, 1979-present - Information Director, Ministry of Culture and Media, 1989 - Deputy Minister, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Aden branch, 1990 - Chief Technical Director, Aden Oil Refinery, 1991 - Member, Arab High Council for Science and Astronomy - Deputy Minister of Fisheries, 2005 -------------- -------------- ¶11. Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research: Saleh Basoura -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: January 8, 1952 Place of Birth: Hadramout English: unknown Education: - BA, Education, History and Geography, Aden University, 1976 - PhD, Philosophy, Leipzig University, Germany 1986 Experience: - Professor, Aden University - Head, History Department, School of Education Aden University - Dean of Scientific Research and Higher Studies, Aden University - President, Aden University, 1995 - President, Sanaa University, 2006 -------------- - ¶12. Minister of Tourism: Nabil Hasan al-Faqih -------------- - Date of Birth: 1967 Place of Birth: unknown English: unknown Education: - Bachelors, Economics (university unknown) Experience: - Marketing Manager, Yemenia Airline, 2000-2004 - Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, 2004-2006 - Head, Yemeni Union for Table Tennis - Deputy Chairman, Arab Table Tennis Union -------------- -------------- ¶13. Minister of Defense: Mohammed Nasser Ahmed Ali -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: 1948 Place of Birth: Abyan English: unknown Education: - MA, Military Science and Commanding, (university known) Experience: - Director, Supply Department, Ministry of Defense, 1996 - 2006 - Deputy Director of Logistics, 1990-1996 - Deputy Director of Military Supplies, former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - Recipient, May 22 Award (Yemen's highest national award) -------------- -------------- ¶14. Minister of State for Sanaa: Yehya Mohammed al-Shaibi -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: April 27, 1952 Place of Birth: Lahij English: Fluent Education: - BA, Chemistry, Fateh University, Libya - Masters, Chemistry, Tuskeqee University, 1980 - PhD, Analytical Chemistry, South Carolina University, 1984 Experience: - Professor, Sanaa University - Deputy Director, Student Affairs, Sanaa University - Assistant Rector, Sanaa University - Ministry of Education, 1997-2001 - Minister of Education, 2002 - Governor of Aden, 2003 - 2006 -------------- -------------- ¶15. Minister of Justice: Judge Ghazi Shaif al-Aghbari -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: September 26, 1956 Place of Birth: Taiz English: unknown Education: - BA, Law, Cairo University, 1982 - Diploma, Sharia Law, Cairo University, 1985 - Diploma, Special Law, Cairo University, 1986 - PhD, Commercial Law, Cairo University, 1994 Experience: - Lawyer and Legal Advisor on Commercial Affairs and Special Arbitration, 1994-1998 - Head, Commercial Appeals Court, Sanaa, 1998-2001 - Lecturer, Commercial, Maritime and Arbitration Law, Higher Judiciary Institute and Police Academy - Accredited Arbitrator, Arab Union for International Arbitration - Accredited Arbitrator, Cairo Regional Center for International Commercial Arbitration - Assistant Professor, Department of Maritime and Commercial Law, Sanaa University - Judge, Commercial Department, Supreme Court, 2001 - 2006 -------------- -------------- ¶16. Minister of Public Works and Roads: Engineer Omar Abdullah al-Kurshemi -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: October 1, 1964 Place of Birth: Sanaa English: Good Education: - BSc, Civil Engineering, University of Texas Experience: - Civil Engineer, Public Corporation for Roads and Bridges, 1990 - 1997 - Director General of Corporation for Roads and Bridges, Hadramout Branch, 1997-2006 -------------- -------------- ¶17. Minister of Water and Environment: Abdulrahman Fadhl Al-Iriyani -------------- -------------- Date of Birth: March 4, 1954 Place of Birth: Taiz English: Good Education: - BSc, Agriculture, American University, Beirut Experience: - Director, Socotra Development Project - Deputy Chairman, Yemeni Islands Development Authority - Director of Agricultural Research Board, Taiz - Director, Taiz World Bank Pilot Project Krajeski