Official name
Republic of Yemen
Form of state
Republic, unified on May 22nd 1990
Legal system
Under the constitution of May 1991, sharia (Islamic law) is the principal source of law
Legislature
Unicameral assembly directly elected for a six-year term
National elections
September 20th 2006 (presidential); April 2003 (parliamentary). Next parliamentary election had been scheduled for April 2009, but was postponed for two years; next presidential election scheduled for 2013. However, the timing of both the presidential and parliamentary elections will depend on the outcome of the ongoing negotiations surrounding Mr Saleh's departure
Head of state
President (directly elected for a seven-year term): Ali Abdullah Saleh; vice-president: Abdel-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi
Executive
Council of Ministers headed by the prime minister. In March 2011 the president sacked the government, but a new cabinet has yet to be appointed
Political parties
There are 22 legal parties, five of which are represented in parliament: the General People's Congress (GPC, the ruling party); the Yemeni Congregation for Reform (Islah, a religious-based party with tribal and Islamist wings); the Arab Socialist Baath Party; the Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP); and the Nasserist Unionist Party (NUP). These, together with two opposition groups without parliamentary representation, the Union of Public Forces and al-Haq, form a loose parliamentary coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties
Government
Prime minister: Ali Mohammed Mujawer
Deputy prime minister for defence & security affairs, & local administration: Rashad al-Alimi
Deputy prime minister for interior affairs: Sadiq Amin Abu Ras
Deputy prime minister for economic affairs & planning & international co-operation: Abdel-Karim al-Arhabi
Key ministers
Agriculture & irrigation: Mansour Ahmed al-Hawshabi
Defence: Mohammed Nasser Ahmed Ali
Electricity & energy: Awad Saad al-Soqotri
Finance: Nouman Taher al-Souhaibi
Fisheries: Mohammed Saleh Shamlan
Foreign affairs & immigration: Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Qirbi
Human rights: Vacant
Interior: Mutaher al-Masri
Justice: Ghazi Shayef al-Aghbari
Labour & social affairs: Amat al-Razzak Ali Hamad
Oil & minerals: Amir Salem al-Edroos (suspended)
Public health & population: Abdel-Karim Rasei
Public works & roads: Omar Abdullah al-Qurshumi
Teaching & education: Abdel-Salam al-Jufi
Trade & industry: Hisham Sharaf
Transport: Khaled al-Wazir
Water & environment: Vacant
Central Bank governor
Mohammed Awadh bin Hamam