Parliamentary Elections in Algeria, 2017

Abstract

The Algerian parliamentary election held May in 2017 was an important event amidst the low voter turnout and public uproar over worsening economic conditions. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika regime will remain for some time as he despite his ill health and poor performance in the election compared to 2012 managed to come back to the power. Since 1962, Algerian tryst with electoral politics have been an interesting chapter of the very few democracies in Arab world. The constitutional framework has hugely contributed to maintain the political situation with major amendments. This article would look into the 2017 election results and will touch upon the Algerian journey of electoral politics since 1962. While the ruling coalition comprising National Liberation Front (FLN) and National Democratic Rally (RND) retained power, there has been a shift in their electoral successes. The election witnessed one of the lowest recorded voter turnouts reflecting lack of public interest.