Yemen extends Hadi’s presidency by one year, approves federal state

Political factions in Yemen extended Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s presidency by one more year and approved a new federal system for the country at a national reconciliation conference that ended on Tuesday, officials said.

Hadi, who became head of state in 2012 for a two-year term under a Gulf power transfer deal that saw his predecessor step down, will oversee a transition into a federal system intended to accommodate southern separatist demands for more autonomy.

The two-year interim period was due to expire in February.

The president, who will also oversee the drafting of a new constitution, was further mandated to reshuffle the cabinet headed and restructure the Shura Council, the consultative upper house of parliament, to give more representation to the south and to Shiite Muslim rebels in the north.