Parliamentary elections were held in
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
on 10 May 2012. The incumbent coalition, consisting of the
National Liberation Front (FLN) of President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the
National Rally for Democracy (RND) of Prime Minister
Ahmed Ouyahia, held on to power after winning a majority of seats. The Islamist parties of the
Green Algeria Alliance lost seats.
Background
Following events in the
Arab Spring, Algeria faced initial large scale protests but have since dwindled.
An
election in 1991 that resulted in a plurality for the
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front (; , FIS) was an Islamist political party in Algeria. The party had two major leaders representing its two bases of its support; Abbassi Madani appealed to pious small businessmen, and Ali Belhadj appealed to the a ...
was annulled by the military amid fears of an Islamist takeover causing the
Algerian Civil War.
Parties
Workers' Party
The
Workers' Party (PT) announced its participation on 29 February.
Louisa Hanoune has previously clarified that the party had worked with the
Socialist Forces Front and would look towards an alliance between the two parties. Louisa Hanoune has become the most popular woman in Algeria after the party came second in the
2009 Algerian presidential election. Hanoune said the party's manifesto would be similar to previous elections, including improved employment opportunities, equal rights for women, the elimination of the
Algerian Family Code, making
Tamazight
The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related but mostly mutually unintelligible languages spoken by Berber communities, who ar ...
the second official language, eliminating laws that condemn people for their religion, sexuality or other discriminatory acts and make Algeria a pioneer in production. She also criticized the creation of new parties that have emerged in January and has asked who funds these new parties.
National Rally for Democracy
The
National Rally for Democracy has announced its participation in the election.
Ahmed Ouyahia is the party's general secretary and the incumbent prime minister. Ouyahia and Hanoune exchanged strong words in the Algerian media. Hanoune complained about his decision of the military record to the voters, showing that as evidence of possible fraud.
Socialist Forces Front
The
Socialist Forces Front (FFS) has announced its participation on 29 February.
Hocine Aït Ahmed wrote to the National Council saying that "participation in these elections is a tactical necessity for the FFS, which falls in line with (its) construction strategy of peaceful democratic alternative to this despotic regime, corrupt and destructive.
he purpose of the partydoes not lie in a quota of seats to reach
utin mobilising political
yand peaceful
yin our party and our people."
The party had boycotted the two previous elections because of what it called systematic electoral fraud in favour of the ruling parties.
National Liberation Front
So far, the
National Liberation Front (FLN) has not made any official publication of who will be their prime ministerial candidate. The FLN is the biggest party in Algeria and includes President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika. There are rumours that its candidate representing the FLN will be
Khalida Toumi, the incumbent Minister of Culture.
Green Algeria Alliance
On 8 March, three Algerian Islamist parties (
Movement of Society for Peace,
Islamic Renaissance Movement and the
Movement for National Reform) formed the
Green Algeria Alliance. Its secretary general is
Bouguerra Soltani. Sultani said that the purpose of this alliance is to consolidate the voter base of the three political parties.
Gallery of candidates
File:Ahmed Ouyahia.jpg, National Rally for Democracy: Ahmed Ouyahia
File:Ait ahmed 1958.jpg, Socialist Forces Front: Hocine Aït Ahmed
File:Khalida Toumi, 2009.jpg, National Liberation Front: Khalida Toumi
File:Abdellah Djaballah.jpg, Abdallah Djaballah
Boycott
The
Socialist Forces Front decided to forgo a decision to boycott the election after international monitors were invited to observe the process. However former Prime Minister
Sid Ahmed Ghozali urged a boycott on the grounds that the election would be "a foregone conclusion.
Social media
Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
was abuzz with many of the country's youth calling for an abstention from voting.
Monitors
Algeria allowed foreign electoral monitors for the election. The monitors would include the
Carter Center, the
National Democratic Institute and other NGOs from the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and the
Arab League
The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...
. Overall, there were over 500 international observers. The government also called the election the "Algerian Spring" billing it as the freest election in over 20 years.
Results

Almost 22 million are eligible to vote for 44 parties following legalisation of most parties this year. Voter turnout was expected to be low, possibly less than 35% from the last election.
[Algeria prepares for parliamentary elections – Africa](_blank)
Al Jazeera English (4 October 2011). Retrieved on 10 May 2012. Bouteflika called for a high participation. The turnout was 42.36%.
Reactions
;Domestic
Interior Minister
Daho Ould Kablia announced the result saying that "the election has reinforced the Algerian people's attachment to the values of peace and stability."
*
Green Algeria Alliance:
Hamas
The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
leader
Bouguerra Soltani commented: "We are surprised by these results, which are illogical, unreasonable and unacceptable". He attributed the result to "those who would like to return to a single party rule." Soltani estimated that the result would "send the
Algerian Spring backwards" and announced that the Islamists would consider boycotting parliament or to ally with the left-wing and liberal opposition against the government.
*
Algerian National Front: Party leader Moussa Touati claimed "blatant fraud" and announced to contest the result before the constitutional court.
;Supranational
*
Arab League
The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...
: Hanafi Wajih, the head of the observer team, said that "the election was free and transparent and the Algerian people have expressed their choice without coercion."
["Is Algeria immune to the 'Arab Spring'?"](_blank)
Al Jazeera. 14 May 2012.
* : Ignacio Salafranca, the head of the EU observer team adjudged the election as "a first step in the reform process which will need to be backed, after a constitutional review, by a deepening of democracy". He criticised that international monitors had been denied access to a national voters' register, which contradicted pledges of transparency. However, he welcomed the overall calm atmosphere in which the elections took place.
* : The OIC described the election as "successful and democratic" and praised that they had been held "in an organised, transparent and peaceful manner."
;States
* : Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
hailed the election saying that "the high number of women elected
nd the election itself isa welcome step in Algeria's progress toward democratic reform."
Aftermath
The new parliament's opening session was boycotted by 49 MPs from the Green Algeria Alliance and 11 MPs from two other parties on the grounds that they claimed the election was fraudulent and "a return to the era of single party rule.
We decided to withdraw from the first session of the National Assembly and protest officially against the results of the ballot." Lakhdar Benkhelaf of the Islamist Front for Justice and Development, a part of the Political Front for the Safeguard of Democracy, said the boycott was "a question of principle."
Algerian MPs boycott parliament session - Africa - Al Jazeera English
/ref>
References
{{Algerian elections
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
Parliamentary
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
Parliamentary elections in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
Election and referendum articles with incomplete results