Elections in Yemen take place within the framework of a presidential system, with both the President and House of Representatives elected by the public. Due to political instability, elections have not been held regularly since the early 2000s.
Electoral history
North Yemen
Following the North Yemen Civil War and the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic, a new constitution came into force in 1970 and the first parliamentary elections were held in 1971.[1] However, as political parties were banned, all candidates ran as independents. Political instability meant that the next elections did not take place until 1988. The 1988 elections were also held on a non-party basis, although around 30 candidates sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood were elected.[2]
South Yemen
During the British colonial era, elections were held for a Legislative Council in the Colony of Aden. The first took place in 1955, although only four of the 18 seats were suffrage was restricted.[3] The next elections in 1959 saw 12 of the 23 seats elected, although continued restrictions on suffrage led to only 21,500 people being registered to vote from a population of 180,000.[3] The final elections of the British era were held in 1964, having been postponed from 1962.
The first direct presidential elections were held in 1999. Candidates could only advance to the public vote if they received over 30 votes in the House of Representatives. With only the GPC and al-Islah holding enough seats to nominate a candidate, and al-Islah backing incumbent President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the only other candidate to receive enough votes was the GPC's Najeeb Qahtan Al-Sha'abi. Saleh subsequently won the public ballot with 96.2% of the vote. The next parliamentary elections in 2003 saw the YSP return to electoral contests. However, they won only eight seats as the GPC increased their parliamentary majority, winning 226 of the 301 seats.
The president is elected for a seven-year term in a two-stage process, with the House of Representatives required to endorse at least two candidates, who are then put to a public vote.[4] The 301 members of the House of Representatives are elected for a six-year term in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post system.[5]
The voting age is 18, whilst candidates for the House of Representatives must be at least 25.[5]
Referendums
Following unification in 1990, a referendum was held on a new constitution in 1991, which was approved by 98.5% of voters. Another constitutional referendum in 2001 saw 77% of voters approve changes to the constitution.
References
^Robert D. Burrowes (2009) Historical Dictionary of Yemen, Scarecrow Press, p197