Following the North Yemen Civil War and the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic, a new constitution came into force in 1970 and the first parliamentary elections were held in 1971. However, as political parties were banned, all candidates ran as independents. Political instability meant that the next elections did not take place until 1988. The 1988 elections were also held on a non-party basis, although around 30 candidates sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood were elected.