Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ther elections will be held in 2014). The president also selects the prime minister, who in
turn chooses the cabinet. The main legislative body is the Yemeni parliament, which
counts 301 members. Parliamentary elections are held every six years (the next parlia-
mentary election is due to be held in 2013).
There are more than 40 active political parties, but the main two are: the ruling General
Peoples Congress and the JMP, which is an alliance of five opposition parties including
the largest, Islah, the main Islamic party in the country. Yemen's legal system is based on
Sharia'a (Islamic law).
TRIBAL POWER
Yemen's tribes still wield a lot of power, sometimes more than the government, and for most Yemenis tribal loy-
alty comes before national loyalty. Groups of tribes form bigger federations. There are three such federations in
the northern part of Yemen - the Hashids, Bakils and Zaraniqs - and no government can be formed without an
equal representation of these groups. In the southern part of the country, where the government of the former
PDRY did its utmost to erode the powers of the tribes, the tribal structure is weaker, though since reunification a
certain amount of 'retribalisation' has taken place.
In the mountainous central regions and the Tihama each tribe has a fairly rigidly defined 'territory', which is
still passionately defended from other tribes. This rule doesn't apply to the nomadic Bedouin of the desert re-
gions. Conflict between the tribes is common in many areas. If a person kills someone from an opposing tribe, his
entire tribe will be held liable. In this way blood feuds between tribes can continue for years.
Every tribe is led by an elected sheikh
,
whose job it is to resolve conflicts or, if that is not possible, to raise a
tribal army and lead the battle.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Economy
Yemen is the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula. The economy did grow at a rate of
between 3.3% and 7.7% between 2000 and 2010, but as the state itself collapsed so did
the economy. In 2011 the economy shrank to -10.5% and it remains in a shambles. Oil is
Yemen's economic mainstay and prior to 2010 accounted for around 70% of government
revenue. Nevertheless, compared to other peninsula countries, Yemen's oil wealth is mod-
est, and the country's oil supplies are forecast to completely run dry by 2017. Another
thorn in the side of economic growth is corruption. In 2012 Transparency International
ranked Yemen 156 out of a list of 174 countries in its Corruption Perceptions Index (with
number one being the least corrupt).
The country is highly, and increasingly, dependent on foreign aid and development
money.
