and directors of the councils to be directly elected. In May 2008, governors were elected for the first time. However, because the ruling party, the General People's Congress (GPC), continues to dominate the local and governorate councils, the May 2008 elections retained this party's executive authority over the governorates. In rural Yemen, direct state control is weak, with tribal confederations acting as autonomous sub-states. See also Foreign relations of Yemen Constitution of Yemen 2011 Yemeni protests Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) State feminism (section: Yemen) References External links Government of Yemen Unofficial website of the Parliament of Yemen bn:ইয়েমেন#রাজনীতি