Political affairs in Algeria – World Countries for Kids

A closed elite based in the military and the ruling party have long dominated political affairs in Algeria. While there are many opposition parties in Parliament, elections are slanted by fraud, and electoral processes lacks transparency. Other concerns include legal restrictions on media freedom, suppression of street protests, and rampant corruption. The Hirak protest movement in 2019 put some pressure on the government to reform, but a crackdown on dissent in the subsequent years has prevented large-scale protests from continuing.

The president is the dominant figure in the executive branch. Direct election is held to elect the president for five-year term. A two-term limit has been in place since 2016, but it did not apply to the previous terms of long-time president AbdelazizBouteflika, whose plans to strive for a fifth term sparked the Hirak protests in 2019. Bouteflika resigned that April after losing the backing of the armed forces.

Former PM AbdelmajidTebboune was victorious in the December 2019 presidential election garnering 58 percent of the vote. AbdelazizBelaïd of the Future Front, the lone candidate who had not served in Bouteflika’s cabinet, won paltry 7 percent. Voter turnout was reported to be as low as 20 percent. Dissenters called the election a sham and orchestrated a boycott. Outside observers were not permitted to enter the nation to monitor the poll.

The president nominates the PM after consulting with the parliamentary majority. In November 2023, Nadir Larbaoui was appointed as the new PM.

The 407 members of the lower house of Parliament, the National People’s Assembly, are directly elected to five-year terms, which can only be renewed one time. In early elections held in 2021, the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) won 98 seats, whereas the allied National Democratic Rally (RND) got 58. The Islamist Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) captured 65 seats, the Future Front won 48, and the moderate Islamist National Construction Movement (El-Binaa) got 39. No other party won above 10 seats, nevertheless 84 independent lawmakers were elected.

The MSP and El-Binaa made accusation that the elections were marred by fraud, while Hirak supporters boycotted the polls. Nationwide turnout stood at paltry 23 percent. The Independent National Authority for Elections (ANIE) reported that more than 360 polling facilities were closed due to looting and other disruptions.

One-third of the members of the upper house (the Council of the Nation), which has 144 members serving six-year terms, are appointed by the president. Rest two-thirds are indirectly elected by local and provincial assemblies.

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