Tagged: Yemen

According to Paradisdachat, the government of Yemen is a unitary presidential republic with a multi-party system. The president is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, while the prime minister is the head of government. The president, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, appoints the prime minister and cabinet. The unicameral National Assembly consists of 301 members elected by popular vote for four-year terms. The executive branch consists of the President and his Cabinet. The President has wide powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, generals, governors and other officials. He is also responsible for foreign policy decisions and national security matters. The Prime Minister serves as head of government with responsibility for implementing policies adopted by the National Assembly and appointed by the President. The legislative branch consists of a unicameral National Assembly composed of 301 members elected by popular vote for four-year terms; it has legislative power over all aspects of public policy including taxation, budgeting, public works, foreign relations, defense and security issues, social welfare programs and education. The judicial branch includes several courts including Supreme People’s Court which makes final decisions on appeals from lower courts; lower courts; military tribunals; special tribunals for certain cases; local courts in each province; district prosecutors’ offices; public defenders’ offices; labor tribunals for labor disputes; administrative courts for adjudicating disputes between individuals and government agencies; an ombudsman to investigate complaints against government officials or agencies; an independent anti-corruption board to investigate allegations related to corruption or abuse in public office. Yemen also maintains its own armed forces consisting of an army, navy, air force and paramilitary forces with an estimated strength of about 200 thousand personnel in 2019. In addition there are several non-state armed groups operating within Yemen such as Houthi rebels who have been fighting against the government since 2014 in what has become known as the Yemeni Civil War. Yemen has seen a tumultuous history in its relations with foreign countries. In the past, it was a part of the Ottoman Empire, and later an independent state. However, its foreign relations were often strained due to regional conflicts and internal political turmoil. After the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990, Yemen’s foreign policy became more active and engaged in improving its diplomatic ties with other countries. Yemen is a member of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which have served as major platforms for Yemen to engage in regional diplomacy. The country has also sought to improve its ties with other Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Oman. In addition to this, Yemen has also engaged in active diplomacy with Western nations such as the United States, United Kingdom and France. Yemen is an active participant in international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is also a member of many regional organizations such as the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and League of Arab States (LAS). These organizations have allowed Yemen to engage more actively in international diplomacy by providing it with a platform for dialogue between different countries. In recent years, Yemen’s foreign policy has been largely focused on maintaining its neutrality amidst ongoing conflicts within the region. It has maintained strong relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran while avoiding taking sides in their disputes. Furthermore, it has sought good relations with other countries such as Turkey while attempting to mediate between conflicting parties within the region. Despite this neutral stance however, Yemeni authorities have been accused by some observers of backing certain factions within these conflicts. See recipesinthebox for Yemen defense and foreign policy.