[10/January/2004] The first parliamentarian elections was held in 1993. It was the first of its kind in the Arabian Peninsula. It based on pluralism and woman had actively participated in it as a candidate and voter.

The turn out of voters was very good as its rate reached at 84 %.

The number of the candidates for the parliament membership in 1993 reached to (3166 ) out of them 1226 partisans and the rest were independent.

Women candidates were (42) out of them (18) partisan and (24)were independent.

The total number of the voters who cast their ballots come up to (2.271.126).

The political parties which represented in the parliament were:
1- The People General Congress.
2- The Yemeni Congregation For Reform.
3- The Yemeni Socialist Party.
4- Arab Ba’ath Socialist Party.
5- The Nasserate Union Party.
6- Al-Haq Party.
7- The Nasserate Taseheah Party.
8- The Nasserate Democratic Party.

The the parliament's term was 4 years. Representatives are elected from (301) constituencies .

The seats of the parliament are (301) each constituency Represented by one member.

April’s elections in 1993 brought about the dominance of the three main parties: People General Congress , Yemeni Congregation for Reform and Yemeni Socialist Party.

The result was as the following :
People General Congress gained 41 % of the parliament seats(122).

Yemeni Congregation Party obtained 21 % of the parliament seats(66).

Yemeni Socialist Party won 19 % of the parliament seats(56).


The independents got 16 % of the seats (48), while the rest parties got 3 %.


Elections in 1997.
New law of elections was issued in August 1966 upon which the elections held in 1997.
The total number of the electors who registered their names in the voters lists increased to ( 4.637.728 ).

Women figures also went up to reach to ( 1.304.550).

The gross number of the partisans candidates came up to (755) represented (12) political parties in addition to (1577) candidates were independent.

The turn out average estimated at 61 % of the total figures of the registered electors comparing to 84 % in 1993.

The results of the elections were as the following:
1-The People General Congress gained the majority seats of the parliament. It obtained (187) seats that made up 62%.

2- The Yemeni Congregation for Reform gained (54) seats around 18 %.

3- The independents obtained (54) seats.

Yemeni Socialist Party along with three other opposition parties boycotted the elections at that time.


Elections in 2oo3.
These elections were postponed for two years by virtue of a constitutional amendments took place in February 2001.

The total number of the candidates reached to around (1336) .The independents were (464) and the rest were partisans.

The People General Congress nominated (297) candidates.
The Yemeni Congregation For Reform nominated (198).

The Yemeni Socialist Party nominated (109).
There were (464) independent candidates.

The total number of the electors who were registered in the voters lists came up to about(8) million according to the statement of the Supreme Election Committee.

These figures of electors were distributed to (5621) electoral centers and (301) electoral constituency.

The elections resulted in a landslide victory of the People General Congress as it managed to gain (224) seats.

The Yemeni Congregation for Reform gained (45) seats . The Yemeni Socialist party gained( 8 ) seats .

The independents claimed (14 ), the Nasserate Union Party won (4) and Arab Ba’ath Socialist Party got (2) seats.

This election witnessed an attempt to forge a coalition brought together the main opposition parties under the so called “ Mutual Gathering “.

The coalition included Yemeni Congregation for Reform , Yemeni socialist Party , the Nasserate Union Party , the Arab Ba’ath Nationalist Party , Al-Haq Party and the Popular Union forces .

The Coalition aimed at coordinating the visions and plans between the opposition parties during the election in a bid to encounter the ruling party and to gain the best result as possible as it could be.
SABANET