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One of the most popular pastimes is chewing kat, small leaves from a mildly narcotic and addictive plant. Strict laws forbid the sale except on two-day weekends of the so-called Yemeni vodka, which has a disastrous effect on productivity. Women are free from most Islamic restrictions, able to choose the chador or the dress. In fact, the country adheres little to either Muslim or Marxist strictures. Liquor is sold, and the Communist Party numbers only 20,000 members.
Having marched relentlessly down the radical road, which earned little more than a broken-down economy and an ugly international reputation, South Yemen seems ready to try another direction. How far it will go, and how successfully, depends on untested talents. The old hands in South Yemen always wonder when the next coup will dash their frail hopes.