Qahtan Muhammad al-Shaabi (1920–1981) was the first President of the People's Republic of South Yemen. Al-Shaabi's National Liberation Front

National Liberation Front (Yemen)

The National Liberation Front or NLF was a military organization operating in the Federation of South Arabia in the 60s. During the North Yemen Civil War fighting spilled over into South Yemen as the British tried to exit its Federation of South Arabia colony...

 (NLF) political organisation wrested control of the country from the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and won political supremacy over the opposition Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen

Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen

The Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen or was a military organization operating in the Federation of South Arabia in the 60s. As the British tried to exit its Federation of South Arabia colony Abdullah al Asnag created FLOSY...

 (FLOSY) in 1967. On 30 November 1967, the protectorate of South Arabia was declared independent as the People's Republic of South Yemen with al-Shaabi as President.

Al-Shaabi held the presidency until 22 June 1969, when a hard-line Marxist

Marxism

Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...

 group from within his own NLF seized control. Salim Rubai Ali (Salmin) replaced al-Shaabi.