# President of South Yemen

The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, commonly referred to as South Yemen, became independent as the People's Republic of South Yemen on 30 November 1967. The President of the Republic served as head of state, appointing a Prime Minister to serve as head of government.
On 22 June 1969, the left wing of National Liberation Front (NLF) took power in the country, reorganizing the government. The Chairman of the Presidential Council became the head of state. This was followed closely in 1970 by the renaming of the country to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. Another reorganization in 1978 after Yemen Socialist Party foundation in October made the head of state's title Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council. This lasted until unification with the Yemen Arab Republic on 22 May 1990, when the then-Chairman became the Prime Minister of the united Yemen.

## President of the People's Republic of South Yemen

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party |
| 1 | | Qahtan Muhammad al-Shaabi قحطان محمد الشعبي (1920–1981) | 30 November 1967 | 22 June 1969 | 1 year, 204 days | National Liberation Front |

## Chairman of the Presidential Council

The Presidential Council of Democratic Yemen was established as part of the reforms made during the "Corrective Move", in which Qahtan al-Shaabi got overthrown by the left wing of the National Liberation Front (NLF). Its role was to manage internal divisions within the National Liberation Front (NLF), which evolved into the Yemeni Socialist Party in 1978, and maintain regional balance.
The council consisted of five members: Abdul Fattah Ismail of the North, Mohammed Ali Haytham of Abyan, Mohammed Saleh al-Awlaqi of Shabwa, Ali Antar of Dhale and Salim Rubaya Ali (Salmin) of Abyan who served as president. Over the next two years, personnel changes occurred, with Ali Nasir Muhammad replacing al-Awlaqi. The council's membership was based primarily on regional influence within the National Liberation Front, rather than military power, as in the Yemen Arab Republic up north.
The council's structure, with equal power for all members, resulted in a de facto triple presidency shared by Salmin, Ismail, and Ali Nasser. However, this balance did not prevent internal strife, particularly between Rubai, who favored a pro-Chinese Maoist approach, and Ismail, who advocated for a Russian Marxist model. While Rubai relied on his regional base and the loyalty of the army, Ismail's influence stemmed from his role as the party's ideological leader and his own "Popular Militia". Ali Nasser acted as a mediator between the two. Despite the council's power-sharing arrangement, conflict persisted, culminating in Rubai's assassination in 1978. The council's structure mirrored the factionalism within the National Liberation Front and was never designed to be a democratic body.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party |
| 2 | | Salim Rubai Ali سالم ربيع علي "سالمين (1935–1978) | 23 June 1969 | 26 June 1978 | 9 years, 3 days | National Liberation Front |
| 3 | | Ali Nasir Muhammad علي ناصر محمد الحسني (1939–) | 26 June 1978 | 21 December 1978 | 184 days | National Liberation Front |
| (3) | | Ali Nasir Muhammad علي ناصر محمد الحسني (1939–) | 21 December 1978 | 27 December 1978 | 184 days | Yemeni Socialist Party |

## Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council

After Salmeen's assassination in 1978, Ismail briefly succeeded him, only to be replaced by Ali Nasser Mohammed after two years, and on 1986 a civil war eventually led to Ali Nasser's own removal.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party |
| 4 | | Abdul Fattah Ismail عبد الفتاح إسماعيل علي الجوفي (1939–1986) | 27 December 1978 | 21 April 1980 | 1 year, 116 days | Yemeni Socialist Party |
| (3) | | Ali Nasir Muhammad علي ناصر محمد الحسني (1939–) | 21 April 1980 | 24 January 1986 | 5 years, 278 days | Yemeni Socialist Party |
| 5 | | Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas حيدر أبو بكر العطاس (1939–) | 24 January 1986 | 22 May 1990 | 4 years, 118 days | Yemeni Socialist Party |
For Presidents after unification in 1990, see: List of Presidents of Yemen

## President of the Democratic Republic of Yemen, 1994

South Yemen also rebelled as the Democratic Republic of Yemen for a period of weeks in 1994.
| | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Leading Party |
| 1 | Ali Salim al-Baidh | 21 May 1994 | 7 July 1994 | Yemeni Socialist Party |