bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve eight-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 April 2003 (scheduled April 2009 election postponed for two years)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GPC 238, Islah 47, YSP 6, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab Socialist Ba'th Party 2, independents 5
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
General People's Congress or GPC [Abdul-Kader BAJAMMAL]; Islamic
Reform Grouping or Islah [Muhammed Abdallah AL-YADUMI]; Nasserite
Unionist Party [Abd al-Malik al-MAKHLAFI]; National Arab Socialist
Ba'th Party [Dr. Qasim SALAM]; Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Yasin
Said NUMAN]; note - there are at least seven more active political
parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Muslim Brotherhood; Women National Committee
other: conservative tribal groups; Huthis, southern secessionist groups; al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)