Algeria's third plural presidential election caught the imagination of the Algerian electorate like no one has done before. Previously, the results were known in advance and elections served only to confer legitimacy on decisions made elsewhere, invariably by the military. This 2004 election seems to be more open. At least in theory, for the first time in Algeria's history, the winner of this election is not going to be the explicit choice of the military. In addition to the neutrality of the army, the autonomy of the former ruling party, the FLN and the unprecedented criticism of the President, the ingredients for an open and exciting election were in place. While most candidates engaged in negative campaigning, sometimes even at the expense of their political manifestos, the incumbent president stressed his achievements, particularly on the security front. 'National reconciliation', the way towards the establishment of further peace, dominated his political campaign and turned the election to a referendum on stabilit
Since the bloody events of October 1988, Algeria has experienced important transformations. That date marked the beginning of the transition from authoritarianism with the opening of political space to previously excluded groups. A number of reforms were introduced, partly because of pressure from the street, but mainly because the incumbent authorities needed them to legitimise themselves and hang on to power. In the aftermath of the October events, the regime fragmented and a hitherto hidden struggle for power among the various political clans rose to the surface. This paper looks at the Algerian transition and assesses the role of Algeria's political parties in this process, asking whether they played a traditional role, or whether they were just puppets of the regime which served only to legitimise the process of chang
In October 1988, Algeria began a process of transition from authoritarianism. Political reforms were introduced, on the surface, to facilitate the process of transition, but in reality to ensure the survival of the incumbent regime. The reform of the electoral system played a significant part in this survival strategy. Between 1989 and 1997, Algeria witnessed the adoption of three distinct electoral systems as the authorities sought ways to give a façade of democratisation while manipulating the rules to suit their purposes. This paper looks at the Algerian transition, asks why the Algerian authorities switched from one system to another, and assesses the impact of the three different electoral systems that the country has experienced.
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