SANAA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's dominant Shiite Houthi rebels on Wednesday accused former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party of standing by their foe of Saudi-led coalition, threatening to break up political and military partnership with Saleh.
The move came in a public statement issued by Houthi official media, Al-Masira TV website, in response to the recent rejection by Saleh's party, the General People's Congress (GPC), over Houthi unilateral appointments in the army, judiciary and ministry of finance.
"Saleh and his party's recent stance shows them up clearly that they are standing by the enemy," Houthi statement said in reference to their foe of the Saudi-led military coalition.
"And based on that, it is not honor for us to continue running the country's affairs through the partnership with Saleh and his party," Houthi group said, accusing Saleh of corruption.
On Sunday, Saleh's GPC party rejected a set of appointments made unilaterally by dominant Houthi rebels a day earlier, in which Houthi group ousted Saleh's loyalists from top positions in the army, judiciary and the ministry of finance.
"The unilateral decisions violate the partnership agreement between the GPC and Houthi group and are legally non-binding," the GPC said in the statement posted on the party's official media outlet almotamar.net.
The action came amid highly growing strife between allies as Houthis seek to strip Saleh from resources of legal power and unilaterally take full control of the country.
Saleh and Houthis, once partners in the coup against internationally recognized President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, have recently fallen out with each other.
The Republican Guards in support of Saleh stepped up measures to be ready to confront any developments in the capital Sanaa, which is under control of both Houthi fighters and Saleh's loyal forces.
Saleh directed the Republican Guards to protect both camps and strictly deal with any Houthi attempt to raid them or come near them.
Yemen has been entangled in civil war since Houthi and Saleh supporters attempted a coup against the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Hadi in September 2014.
Almost two years and a half ago, Saudi Arabia led an Arab coalition forces and intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to return power and the capital Sanaa to Hadi and roll back rebels' gains.
Over 10,000 people, mostly civilians have been killed in the war that displaced 3 million others, according to UN aid agencies.
