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 in February it was postponed for two years; next presidential election scheduled for 2013

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

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 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: Huda Ali Abdel-Latif al-Ban

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: Abdul Rahman Fadhl al-Iryani

Central Bank governor

Mohammed Awadh bin Hamam