Algeria commences legislative election campaigns

Algeria has kick-started its legislative election campaigns three months after the dissolution of the National People’s Assembly (APN) by the embattled President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The vote has been brought forward after President Tebboune dissolved the parliament in a bid to calm down grievances from protesters who called for the dissolution of the government.

Nearly 1500 contestants are running for the seats according to the Independent National Election Authority. The vote is set for June 12. More than half of the contestants are running on an independent ticket.

About 1,200 other lists were rejected under a new electoral law stipulating that the candidate must not be “known to have had links with dubious money and business circles”.

This law sets out, among other things, the rules for the financing and control of election campaigns. Thus, it is forbidden for any candidate to receive donations in cash or in-kind from a foreign state or from a natural or legal person of foreign nationality.

Thousands of the Hirak movement have in recent months rocked the streets of the Algerian capital as they demanded significant changes to the country’s government and political system.

The Hirak activists are pressing for a full makeover of the opaque system governing Algeria, with the military in the shadows, which has been at the helm since the country won its independence war against colonizer France in 1962.

Suzan O/AFN