Parties contesting the 1997
election
| Party |
Symbol |
Candidates |
Women |
| 1. |
General People's Congress |
Horse |
257 |
2 |
| 2. |
Islah |
Sun |
241 |
0 |
| 3. |
Nasserite Unionist Party |
Star & Crescent |
88 |
0 |
| 4. |
Arab Baath Socialist Party |
Palm Tree |
34 |
2 |
| 5. |
Nasserite Democratic Party |
Scales |
33 |
0 |
| 6. |
Nasserite Reformist Party |
Camel |
16 |
1 |
| 7. |
Yemeni League Party |
Jambia |
16 |
0 |
| 8. |
National Democratic Front |
Pigeon |
57 |
0 |
| 9. |
Al-Haqq Party |
Book |
26 |
1 |
| 10. |
Arab Baath Socialist Party |
Eagle |
57 |
1 |
| 11. |
Liberation Front Party |
Hands Shaking |
11 |
0 |
| 12. |
Social National Party |
Hoepoe |
14 |
1 |
| TOTAL (party candidates) |
850 |
8 |
| PLUS: Independent candidates |
3,001 |
15 |
| GRAND TOTAL NOMINATED |
3,851 |
23 |
Parties boycotting the
1997 election:
1. Yemen Socialist Party
2. Yemeni Unionist Congregation Party
3. Federation of Popular Forces
4. League of the Sons of Yemen
Share of the total
vote, 1997
| Party |
Votes |
% share |
| GPC |
1,172,504 |
43% |
| Islah |
639,734 |
23% |
| Independent |
332,616 |
12% |
| Ind (GPC) |
304,595 |
11% |
| Ind (Islah) |
151,946 |
6% |
| Nasserist |
55,371 |
2% |
| Ind (YSP) |
29,235 |
1% |
How well did they win?
Seats won with more than 50% of the vote:
GPC: 145 out of 187
Islah: 24 out of 53
Independents: 23 out of 54
Highest winning vote: 97.87%
Lowest winning vote: 22.55%
Uncontested seats, 1997
election
-
63 seats not contested by GPC: Islah won 24 of them
-
120 seats not contested by Islah: GPC won 98 of them
-
7 seats not contested by GPC or Islah: Independents won 5,
Nasserists 1, Ba'athists 1.
-
Independents won 4 seats, Nasserists 1, Ba'athists 1 in
face of competition from both GPC and Islah
State of the parties, 1997
| Party |
1993 |
1997 |
Change |
| General People's Congress |
123 |
187 |
+64 |
| Yemeni Alliance for Reform (al-Islah) |
62 |
53 |
-9 |
| Yemeni Socialist Party |
56 |
0 |
-56 |
| Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
7 |
2 |
-5 |
| Nasserist parties |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| Truth Party (al-Haqq) |
2 |
0 |
-2 |
| Independents |
47 |
54 |
+7 |
| (Election postponed) |
1 |
2 |
|
| TOTAL |
301 |
301 |
|
Source: EMC
Adjusted state of the parties
| Party |
Official |
Plus |
Total |
| General People's Congress |
187 |
39 |
226 |
| Yemeni Alliance for Reform (al-Islah) |
53 |
10 |
63 |
| Yemeni Socialist Party |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| Nasserist parties |
3 |
0 |
3 |
| Independents |
54 |
-51 |
3 |
(After re-distribution of
"independent" MPs with party allegiances)
The geographical divide, 1997
| Northern provinces |
GPC |
YSP |
Islah |
Other |
Indep. |
TOTAL |
| Sana'a (city) |
15 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
18 |
| Ta'izz |
19 |
0 |
16 |
3 |
5 |
43 |
| Ibb |
28 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
38 |
| al-Bayda |
4 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
| Hudaydah |
25 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
32 |
| Dhamar |
14 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
21 |
| Sana'a (province) |
23 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
7 |
36 |
| al-Mahweet |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
| Hajjah |
17 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
23 |
| Sa'adah |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
| al-Jawf |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Ma'rib |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Sub-total |
160 |
0 |
39 |
4 |
40 |
243 |
| |
| Southern provinces |
GPC |
YSP |
Islah |
Other |
Indep. |
TOTAL |
| Aden |
6 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
| Lahj |
6 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
12 |
| Abyan |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
| Shabwah |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
| Hadramawt |
6 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
3 |
17 |
| al-Maharah |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Sub-total |
27 |
0 |
14 |
1 |
14 |
56 |
| |
| All provinces |
GPC |
YSP |
Islah |
Other |
Indep. |
TOTAL |
| TOTAL (north and south) |
187 |
0 |
53 |
5 |
54 |
299 |
Share of seats – north and
south
| Party |
North % |
South % |
| GPC |
66 |
48 |
| Islah |
16 |
25 |
| Other parties |
2 |
2 |
| Independent |
16 |
25 |
Share of the votes –
Hadramawt
| Party |
Seats |
Votes |
Votes % |
| GPC |
6 |
28,243 |
29 |
| Islah |
8 |
27,983 |
29 |
| Other parties |
0 |
929 |
1 |
| Independent |
3 |
40,228 |
41 |
| TOTAL |
17 |
97,383 |
100 |
Note: This illustrates the weakness of the
GPC's position and the strength of Islah in Hadramaut.
Independent Yemeni
observers, 1997
(Elections Monitoring Committee)
| Province |
Constits |
Total |
Male |
Female |
| Sana'a City |
18 |
750 |
470 |
280 |
| Taiz |
42 |
1,447 |
1,192 |
285 |
| Sana'a Prov |
12 |
395 |
354 |
41 |
| Mahweet |
5 |
142 |
134 |
8 |
| Baidha |
6 |
299 |
254 |
45 |
| Hadhramaut |
13 |
270 |
196 |
74 |
| Hodeida |
18 |
523 |
403 |
120 |
| Marib |
3 |
191 |
185 |
6 |
| Sa'ada |
4 |
160 |
160 |
- |
| Aden |
11 |
235 |
164 |
71 |
| Abyan |
8 |
209 |
182 |
27 |
| Lahaj |
9 |
197 |
150 |
47 |
| Ibb |
16 |
820 |
609 |
11 |
| Dhamar |
8 |
375 |
318 |
57 |
| TOTAL |
173 |
6,043 |
4,771 |
1,272 |
|
