ABSTRACT
The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) is an alliance of opposition political parties in Yemen. It was established in 2002 and has survived, despite the divergent ideologies of its component parties, to present an apparently substantial challenge to the longstanding rule of President Ali Abdullah al-Salih and his General People’s Congress party (GPC). This contribution explores the impact of the JMP on Yemeni political life. The present study locates the alliance within the literature on electoral alliances in the Middle East. It then examines the origins and ideologies of the major political parties in Yemen, with a particular focus on those forming part of the JMP. The study concludes with a critical appraisal of the JMP, arguing that despite its unexpected survival, the alliance is characterised by internal division and caution, best exemplified in its relationship with the Yemeni protest movement of early 2011, which bypassed the JMP even as the alliance sought to capitalise on its achievements.
