Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah (Republic of Yemen) was formed in 1990 after the unification of North and South Yemen. The nationalist North and the Marxist South had each gained independence in 1918 and 1967 respectively, however their political orientation and economic differences contributed to their continued separation until1990. The country has since continued as a unified entity, despite an attempt to separate the country in two by former remnants of the Southern regime in 1994, which was militarily defeated in the same year.
Current Status
President Ali Abdallah Saleh, who led Northern Yemen before reunification continues to lead the country today. His status as the President (he is currently serving his second term) has been confirmed by Yemen's citizens through elections in which all Yemenis are allowed to vote, and 97% of them chose President Saleh. One of the redeeming strengths of Yemen's Political infrastructure is the country's vibrant multi party electoral system where the political party in power has to stand against opposition parties in elections and in parliamentary debates, as enshrined in Article 39 of the Yemeni Constitution. The latest Yemeni parliamentary elections took place on 28 April, 2003.
According to figures from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the number of eligible voters in the last Yemeni elections was 8 million. 5.5 million citizens actually voted, thereby bringing the participation rate to 68%. Four major political parties competed in the elections, in addition to a number of independent candidates. The election winner is determined in accordance to the majority of seats won for the 301 seats in the House of Representatives. The winners of the last elections were the General Popular Conference with 225 seats, followed by the Yemeni Congregation for Reform (al-Tajmu al-Yamani li al-Islah) won 50 seats, and the Yemeni Socialist Party won 7 seats only. The Nasserite Unionist party and the Baath party won 2 seats each. Independent candidates won 14 seats.
Legislative power
The bicameral parliament of Yemen is composed of the following bodies:
• House of Representatives (Majlis of Nuwaab) All 301 members of this parliament are directly elected by the Yemeni public through elections. The tasks of House of Representatives is "ratification of laws and endorsement of the state's general policy, the general plan for economic and social development, the general budget final accounts" and " discusses, ratifies, rejects, and amends legislation".
• Consultative Council (Majilis al Shura) All111 members are appointed by the President .Members are prominent members of political, tribal, and academia who specialise in different fields. According to the Yemeni constitution " The Council has the ability to vote on legislation when convened together with the House of Representatives either to discuss legislation related to defence, or to discuss a specific issue raised by the president". The council's other important task is to " assist the president in developing strategies on national and international issues".
Despite Yemen's vibrant political scene, the country's political system and hierarchy faces a number of challenges. The biggest challenge is the lack of political authority in areas controlled by Tribal leaders and their opposition to the country's economic reform programs. Corruption, mismanagement and bureaucracy in the country's public institutions are other problems challenging the progress of Yemeni politics and economy. By: Meir Javedanfar- www.meepas.com Back |
