mpulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May
1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office upon the
merger of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen. Abd al-Rab
Mansur al-HADI (since NA October 1994)
head of government: Acting Prime Minister Dr. Abd al-Karim Ali
al-IRYANI (since NA April 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice
of the prime minister
elections: President SALIH was elected by the House of Representatives
for a five-year term, however, future presidents will be elected by
direct, popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 October
1994 (next to be held NA 1999); vice president appointed by the
president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the
president
election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of
House of Representatives vote-NA

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (301 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 April 1997 (next to be held NA April 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-GPC 189,
Islaah 52, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Baath
Party 2, independents 54, election pending 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: there are over 12 political parties
active in Yemen, some of the more prominent are: General People's
Congress (GPC), President Ali Abdallah SALIH; Islamic Reform Grouping
(Islaah), Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR; Yemeni Socialist Party
(YSP), Ali Salih UBAYD; Nasserite Unionist Party, leader NA; National
Arab Socialist Baath Party, Dr. Qassim SALAAM
note: President SALIH's General People's Congress (GPC) won a
landslide victory in the April 1997 legislative election and no longer
governs in coalition with Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn al-AHMAR's
Islamic Reform Grouping (Islaah) - the two parties had been in
coalition since the end of the civil war in 1994; the YSP, a loyal
opposition party, boycotted the April 1997 legislative election

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU,
CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIP