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The Republic of Yemen is situated in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula with its approximately 555,000 km2. The population is estimated at 19 millions with an annual growth of 3.5% - (one of the highest in the world) and a total fertility rate of 6.5 children per woman (more than double the world average). Only 24% of the population lives in urban areas, which has affected service delivery and development planning.
According to article 2 of the Constitution, Islam is the religion of the state. However, there is a small Jewish community, which has been declining as a result of the voluntary migration to Palestine in the last century. Currently, there are less than 5000 individuals who mainly reside in the governorates of Amran and Sada? It is worth mentioning that members of the Jewish community freely practice their religion and enjoy all the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. Arabic is the official language of Yemen.
Local Authority:
The Constitution emphasizes the principle of decentralization and the importance of local councils at the governorates?level. Article 145 of the Constitution states that the territory of the Republic of Yemen shall be divided into administrative units that enjoy a nominal personality and they are an inseparable part of the power of the state. In addition, administrative units shall have councils, which must be freely and fairly elected, both at the local and governorate level, which shall exercise their functions. The Law defines the rights and duties of the local councils.
Embracing the principle of decentralization and local authority is consistent with the adoption of political pluralism and the promotion of democracy. It is aimed at enlarging popular participation in decision-making and management of the local concerns in the spheres of political, economic, and social development. The state has enhanced the authorities of the governorates through the gradual implementation of financial and administrative decentralization with the objective of promoting self and collective responsibilities to develop remote and underdeveloped sections of the country.
In the process of building the Yemeni modern state’s institutions based on democracy and political pluralism, the state has endorsed the Local Authority Law no. (4) of 2000. The Local Authority Law has granted the elected local councils in the district level the authority to propose development plans and programs based on the priorities identified by the local stakeholders. It also identifies the local, governorate and national financial sources by which such plans and policies can be implemented.
The Political System:
The political system of Yemen is a parliamentary ?democratic system based on the following principles:
-Yemen is a constitutional, republican, unified, Islamic, and Arabic state.
It is committed to democracy and partisan pluralism in order to achieve a peaceful transformation of power.
- The people of Yemen are the possessors and source of power, which they exercise directly through referendums and general elections, and indirectly through the legislative, executive and judici. |
