ABSTRACT
The People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) continues — since its independence in November 1967 — to live up to its reputation as the odd man out of the Arab world. The ‘National liberation Front’ (NLF) emerged as the dominant political organisation when the South Yemeni army came out openly in its support on the eve of Independence, thus eclipsing the Egyptian-influenced ‘Front for the liberation of South Yemen’. Following the overthrow of President Rubay in June 1978 by Abd al-Fattah Isma’il, the NLF was transformed into the ‘Yemeni Socialist Party’ - making the PDRY the first Arab country to be ruled by a Marxist-Leninist party. The political de’tente with the conservative Arab oil-wealthy neighbours began to be ‘productive’ only in 1979, when 3.4 million tons of crude oil was processed. The policies of the PDRY have resulted undoubtedly in substantial achievements in both social and economic development.
