The upcoming legislative elections in Algeria will be held under fundamental reforms recently integrated into the legislation governing elections, aimed at modernizing the electoral process and consolidating democratic practices.
These reforms, initiated by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, encompass several laws, including the law on the electoral system, the law on political parties, and the bill defining electoral districts and the number of parliamentary seats.
They reflect a strong political will to establish solid legal and regulatory foundations for an electoral process rooted in transparency, integrity, neutrality, and respect for the voters’ choice.
Furthermore, these reforms embody the State’s commitment to strengthening the electoral process through a gradual approach that balances broadening political participation with enhancing integrity and transparency.
Such measures are also designed to bolster public trust in state institutions and consolidate democratic practice in both its procedural and organizational dimensions.
Previous experiences demonstrated the necessity of introducing qualitative enhancements and new regulations to fortify the democratic process. For this purpose, broad consultations were conducted with all stakeholders, notably accredited political parties represented in elected assemblies, the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE), and various experts.
As a result of this reform process, the upcoming legislative elections will be held under a compatible legislation that meets current requirements and the aspirations of political stakeholders, while accounting for the country’s ongoing transformations.
The law on the electoral system, which includes the amendment of 85 articles, the addition of four new articles, and the repeal of five, features technical adjustments to reset the legal framework of the electoral process. Specifically, it enshrines the constitutional authority of ANIE in the preparation, organization, management, and monitoring of electoral operations, while also overseeing its restructuring.
The law further establishes the principle of administrative neutrality by limiting government involvement to providing material, human, and logistical support. It also resets candidacy criteria to enhance political participation. New provisions include granting parties and independent candidates the right to rank candidates within their lists and reducing the number of signatures required for candidacy lists, lowering the threshold from 250 to 150 domestically, and from 200 to 100 for candidates running abroad. Additionally, candidacy lists in newly created provinces are exempt from signature requirements for the upcoming legislative and local elections.
Finally, the law includes measures to modernize electoral processes through the digitalization of electoral rolls to ensure accuracy. This includes the introduction of a unique national identification number on voter cards for newly registered voters, a process that will be gradually extended to the rest of the electorate.
