Elections in Yemen
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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
South Yemen
During the British colonial era, elections were held for a Legislative Council in the
After independence and the establishment of the
Unified Yemen
Following unification in 1990, a 301-seat House of Representatives was established. Parliamentary elections were held in 1993, which saw the General People's Congress (GPC) based in the north win 123 of the 301 seats, whilst al-Islah won 62 and the YSP 56. The YSP subsequently boycotted the 1997 parliamentary elections, in which the GPC won a majority of seats.
The
The
Electoral system
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
- ^ Yemen Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ a b Sheila Carapico (2007) Civil Society in Yemen: The Political Economy of Activism in Modern Arabia Cambridge University Press, p86
- ^ Country profile: Yemen Library of Congress
- ^ a b Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union