Yemeni parliamentary election, 1997
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Yemeni parliamentary elections took place on 27 April 1997 for the Assembly of Representatives
of Yemen
. The governing General People's Congress of President
Ali Abdullah Saleh
won a landslide victory in the elections. Voter turnout was 61.0%.
Over 2,300 candidates, from 12 parties, competed for the 301 seats in the Parliament of Yemen. Most candidates were independents, however many of these were backed by either the General People's Congress or Islah parties. There were 19 female candidates. Each party or independent candidate had their own logo such as an owl or horse for the ballot paper to help illiterate voters.
boycotted the election
alleging that the government had harassed and arrested their party workers. The main opposition party, Islah, attacked the government for not carrying out economic reforms and for corruption. There were few disagreements over policy between the parties.
and Dhamar
the results were cancelled due to irregularities. International monitors described the elections as being 'reasonably free and fair' and 'a positive step in the democratic development of Yemen'.
After the election 39 MPs elected as Independents joined the General People's Congress, 10 joined the Islah party and 2 joined the Yemeni Socialist Party.
Assembly of Representatives of Yemen
The Assembly of Representatives is the legislature of Yemen. The Assembly has 301 members, elected for a six year term in single-seat constituencies.-See also:* List of Speakers of the Assembly of Representatives of Yemen...
of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. The governing General People's Congress of President
President of Yemen
The President of the Republic of Yemen is the head of state of Yemen.Under the Constitution of Yemen, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Yemeni government....
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
won a landslide victory in the elections. Voter turnout was 61.0%.
Voters and candidates
Of the 16 million people in Yemen about 4.6 million were registered to vote with about a quarter of them being women. However only about 2.6 million people received their voting cards.Over 2,300 candidates, from 12 parties, competed for the 301 seats in the Parliament of Yemen. Most candidates were independents, however many of these were backed by either the General People's Congress or Islah parties. There were 19 female candidates. Each party or independent candidate had their own logo such as an owl or horse for the ballot paper to help illiterate voters.
Campaign
Several opposition parties including the Yemeni Socialist PartyYemeni Socialist Party
The Yemeni Socialist Party is a political party in Yemen.It was the ruling party in South Yemen, the only Marxist Arab state, before unification in 1990...
boycotted the election
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
alleging that the government had harassed and arrested their party workers. The main opposition party, Islah, attacked the government for not carrying out economic reforms and for corruption. There were few disagreements over policy between the parties.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General People's Congress | 1.175.343 | 43.1 | 187 | |
| Al-Islah Al-Islah The Yemeni Congregation for Reform, frequently called Islah or Al-Islah, , is the main opposition party in Yemen. At the last legislative elections, 27 April 2003, the party won 22.6 % of the popular vote and 46 out of 301 seats.-Foundation:... |
637,728 | 23.4 | 53 | |
| Nasserite Unionist People's Organisation Nasserite Unionist People's Organisation The Nasserite Unionist People's Organisation is a Nasserist political party in Yemen.The party was founded in Taiz in 25 December 1965.The party was legalized in 1989.... |
55,438 | 2.3 | 3 | |
| Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party | 20,409 | 0.7 | 2 | |
| National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Yemen Region The National Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Yemen Region is the Yemeni regional organization of the Baghdad-based Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. The secretary of the party in Yemen is Dr. Qassem Salam Said.Abdulwahid Hawash serves as the deputy secretary... |
10,134 | 0.4 | 0 | New |
| Democratic Nasserist Party | 9,601 | 0.4 | 0 | |
| Party of Truth | 5,587 | 0.2 | 0 | |
| Nasserist Reform Organisation | 2,755 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| League of Sons of Yemen | 930 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other parties | 3,400 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Independents | 805,636 | 29.5 | 54 | |
| Vacant | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 100,408 | |||
| Total | 2,827,369 | 100 | 301 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||
Post-election
In two districts, HajjahHajjah
Hajjah is the capital city of Hajjah Governorate in northwestern Yemen. It is located 127 kilometres northwest of Sana'a, at an elevation of about 1800 metres. As of 2003, the Hajjah City District had a population of 53,887 inhabitants....
and Dhamar
Dhamar Governorate
Dhamar , also spelt Thamar, is a governorate of Yemen. It is located to the south and southeast of Sana'a Governorate, to the north of Ibb Governorate, to the east of Al Hudaydah Governorate and to the northwest of Al Bayda' Governorate in the central highlands of Yemen...
the results were cancelled due to irregularities. International monitors described the elections as being 'reasonably free and fair' and 'a positive step in the democratic development of Yemen'.
After the election 39 MPs elected as Independents joined the General People's Congress, 10 joined the Islah party and 2 joined the Yemeni Socialist Party.