At stake in this Referendum:

• Approval of a set of constitutional amendments that included the extension of the presidential term and the mandate of the parliament.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ali Abdallah SALIH
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Abd al-Qadir BA JAMAL
• Assembly: Yemen has a unicameral House of Representative with 301 seats.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Referendum on constitutional amendments that included extension of the presidential term and the mandate of the parliament. Voters were asked to approve several amendments to the Constitution that would:
  • Extend the presidential term from five to seven years.
  • Extend the mandate of the parliament from four to six years.
  • Establish a second chamber of parliament to be appointed by the President.

Electoral Requirements

• A majority of overall votes cast are required for a new political system to be adopted.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 17,479,206 (July 2000 est.)
• Registered Voters: 4,637,728 ( 1997 )