Will it Be a Fake or a Real Change Towards Democracy? Algeria Dictatorship Plans Election Changes | Democracy, elections, and voting at Democracy Chronicles

Algeria Dictatorship Plans Include Farce

Will it Be a Fake or a Real Change Towards Democracy? The following is an excerpt on Algerian politics:

Algeria is an authoritarian regime, according to the Democracy Index 2010. The Freedom of the Press 2009 report gives it rating “Not Free”.

The head of state is the president of Algeria, who is elected for a five-year term. The president was formerly limited to two five-year terms but a constitutional amendment passed by the Parliament on 11 November 2008 removed this limitation. Algeria has universal suffrage at 18 years of age. The President is the head of the army, the Council of Ministers the High Security Council. He appoints the Prime Minister who is also the head of government. Algeria’s president sets May parliament polls

The Algerian parliament is bicameral, consisting of a lower chamber, the National People’s Assembly (APN), with 380 members; and an upper chamber, the Council Of Nation, with 144 members. The APN is elected every five years.

Under the 1976 constitution (as modified 1979, and amended in 1988, 1989, and 1996), Algeria is a multi-party state. The Ministry of the Interior must approve all parties. To date, Algeria has had more than 40 legal political parties. According to the constitution, no political association may be formed if it is “based on differences in religion, language, race, gender, profession or region”. In addition, political campaigns must be exempt from the aforementioned subjects.