democratic Republic of Yemen?

Yemen's first political revival occurred when the communist and non-communist halves of the country reunited in 1990. Since then, a presidency-bordering-on-monarchy has subsisted with Western and Saudi support, despite a strong Islamist underground. Now, the Washington Post reports, the sham election has been made a real contest by the entry of longtime politician Faisal bin Shamlan, a reformist, into the presidential race. As WaPo reports, it's doubtful he would win, but his own tenuous candidacy - the product of a truce between Islamists, socialists, and others - is emblematic of the divisions that would likely occur if he won. Perhaps he could sufficiently unify the country and execute his reforms to leave behind a multi-party system. But with the underlying antagonism between Islamists, socialists, and nationalists, it's hard to see how a repressive dictatorship of some kind can really be avoided.