Algeria APS

8/13/2019 Algeria APS

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Arab Political Systems: Baseline Information and Reforms Algeriawww.carnegieendowment.org/arabpoliticalsystemswww.fride.org/eng/Publications/Publication.aspx?Item=787

ALGERIA

UPDATES AND FORTHCOMING EVENTS ......................................................................................3

UPDATES AND FORTHCOMING EVENTS ......................................................................................3

STATE INSTITUTIONS/ SEPARATION OF POWERS.....................................................................4

STATE INSTITUTIONS/ SEPARATION OF POWERS.....................................................................4

!"#$I%&'A(") ..............................................................................................................................*+,I-+A$I%&'A(")............................................................................................................................#0I"IA'1 ..............................................................................................................................................2

REFORMS UNDER DISCUSSION.........................................................................................................7

RIGHTS......................................................................................................................................................9

RIGHTS......................................................................................................................................................9

P'-3(A++I&'$I-..............................................................................................................................4

.................................................................................................................................................................4+,I-+A$I3(',#+A$I(,$)!'"I-35'I,)$-.........................................................................6

POLITICAL PARTY LAWS.................................................................................................................10

ELECTORAL LAW................................................................................................................................10

REFORMS UNDER DISCUSSION.......................................................................................................11

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace1779 Massachusetts Ave. NWWashington .C. !""#$%!1"#www.carnegieendowment.org

&undaci'n (ara las )elaciones Internacionales * eli+logo E,terior-C &eli(e I/- 9 % 10 dcha. !"12 Madrid.www.fride.org

At A Glance

Population uly 92 est. :94:46

,0P Per "apita ;PPPelopment Index 'an #(0P 92 69 ;out of 677 countriesernors ;walis< and magistratesF ay dissol>e t@e Parliament.F ay call for early legislati>e elections.F ay declare a state of emergency.F ay declare war and general mobiliGation.F ay rule by decree.F ay initiate re>ision of t@e "onstitution.F "ommands t@e armed forces.

F Is responsible for national defense.F 0ecides and conducts foreign policy.F "an appro>e t@e go>ernmentBs annual budget by decree if it is reHected by t@e

Parliament

$@e president is elected by popular >ote for a fi>eFyear term. "andidates can be

nominated by t@e "onstitutional "ouncil eit@er by 2 local and national electedofficials or by a popular petition of at least 7 registered >oters.

President &outeflia was elected for a second term in April 9*. According to t@e

"onstitution @e cannot run for president a t@ird time.

$@e 562> >22-6E

F ay initiate legislation.F -igns executi>e decrees.F 0ecides and presents t@e go>ernmentBs program.

President AbdelaGiG &outeflia appointed @is close ally and leader of t@e ruling

(ational +iberation 5ront AbdelaGiG &el@adem as prime minister on ay 992. 3bser>ers belie>e t@e appointment is a preparation for constitutionalc@anges t@at will allow t@e president to run for a t@ird term in office. Alt@oug@ no

Carnegie Endowment for International Peacewww.carnegieendowment.org

&undaci'n (ara las )elaciones Internacionales * eli+logo E,teriorwww.fride.org

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Arab Political Systems: Baseline Information and Reforms Algeria

official reason was gi>en for former Prime inister A@med 3uya@iaBs resignation@e is nown to @a>e opposed a constitutional amendment.

$@e "abinetE

F Is appointed by t@e president based on t@e prime ministerBs recommendations.F Is responsible before t@e parliament and t@e president.F eets as C"ouncil of inistersD in t@e presence of t@e president and as t@e

C"ouncil of ,o>ernmentD in @is absence. In bot@ cases t@e cabinet can appro>elegislation.

embers of t@e go>ernment cannot be indicted.

$@e military does not @a>e a formal statutory role in t@e country but it is still

considered an influential player wit@ ties to t@e executi>e.

L?2@-2; B6:ed for Algerians residing abroad.

$@e N-2@ P5@6 A>@E

F Is elected for fi>e years by proportional representation by listFbasedconstituencies.

F Is elected on t@e basis of uni>ersal suffrage for indi>iduals 68 years and older.F "an be dissol>ed by t@e president after consultation wit@ t@e speaers of t@e

AP( and (ational "ouncil and wit@ t@e prime minister. If t@e AP( isdissol>ed general elections must be @eld wit@in t@ree mont@s.

-ay dissol>e t@e cabinet t@roug@ a twoFt@irds >ote of no confidence.

lections were last @eld on ay 67 97. (ext elections are sc@eduled for 969.

"lic ide legislati>e seats for citiGens li>ing

abroadK eig@t seats represent t@e Algerian community abroad.

$@e N-2@ C:2@E

F )as 6** members. $woFt@irds ;42< are elected by members of localassemblies and oneFt@ird ;*8< are appointed by t@e president to sixFyear term.


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F embers appointed by t@e president wor as a single parliamentary group.F ust appro>e laws by a t@reeFfourt@s maHority >ote.

)alf t@e members of t@e (ational "ouncil are renewed e>ery t@ree years.

lections were last @eld on 0ecember 98 92. $@e next elections will be @eld in94er t@e president of t@e republic @as considerable control o>er t@e Hudiciarybecause @e is also t@e president of t@e )ig@ "ouncil of agistracy. ;$@e ministerof Hustice is its >iceFpresidentil law system wit@ codes adaptedfrom t@e 5renc@ legal system. Personal status laws are based on Islamic law.

J=2:26 C:2@

F $@e)ig@ "ouncil of agistracy ;"onseil -uperieur de la agistrature< is t@eHudiciaryBs regulatory body. It @andles appointments careers of Hudges anddisciplinary matters. It is @eaded by t@e President of t@e 'epublic ;Art.6*F67


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C6- A55@

F 0aira courts are grouped wit@in eac@ pro>ince under t@e Hurisdiction of t@epro>incial court ;wilayail criminal administrati>e and accusation.

H2?< C6- ;"our -upremees its opinion on draft laws before t@ey are examined by t@e cabinet. #ndert@e current constitution it can also settle electoral disputes and appeals w@ic@were pre>iously settled by t@e "onstitutional "ouncil.

T62@ C@2:-;$ribunal des "onflitser standard legislation and reLuire a @ig@er ;twoFt@irds< maHority toamend.

$@e 6449 mergency +aw imposes >arious limitations on t@e exercise of personal

freedoms especially relating to t@e freedom of assembly and expression.

)uman rig@t acti>ists @a>e been imprisoned in recent years.

$@e use of torture @as not completely disappeared and prison conditions are subF

standard.

$@e deat@ of 6 prisoners in -eradHi in 644* was ne>er properly in>estigated.

$@e case of a Mabyle teenager s@ot deat@ in police Luarters in 96 spared t@e

Mabyle protest mo>ement Cou>ement des [email protected]

'eligious freedom despite some ad>ances is not complete. (onFuslim religiouspractices in public are not allowed alt@oug@ tolerated in practice. uslim womencannot marry nonFuslim men under t@e 5amily "ode regulations.

$@e 6422Penal codepro>ides for t@e deat@ penalty.

$@e"i>il "oncorde +aw;+oi sur la concorde ci>ile


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L?2@-2 R?@-2? -ening t@e +aw on Political Parties.-anctions ;fines imprisonment or dissolution< are imposed by t@e courts andt@e parties can appeal to t@e -tate "ouncil.

F -ome political parties alt@oug@ apparently fulfilling t@e abo>e legalreLuirements are refused legal status. 3ne suc@ example is t@e Jafa party.

E@:-6@ L8

F $@e 6447 lectoral +aw ;Arabic $ext 5renc@ $ext< establis@ed a system ofproportional representation under t@e C)areD formula w@ic@ tends to producean o>erFrepresentation of larger parties. A party t@at recei>es as little as :Nof t@e popular >ote can obtain twoFt@irds of t@e seats in parliament.

F lection procedures were amended in 9* following a proposal by t@e Isla@party. $@ese amendments strengt@ened control and super>ision mec@anismsespecially t@ose allocated to political party officials. It also abolis@ed t@especial >oting college for Army officers. Alt@oug@ no pro>ision was made for

international obser>ers some obser>ers were allowed towards t@e end of t@e9* electoral campaign in time to o>ersee t@e >oting.



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R6> U=6 D2:2

F $@e Algerian cabinet proposed amendments to t@e electoral law on une 6:97 t@at would adHust t@e reLuirements for political parties and independents

participating in local and legislati>e elections. If adopted by t@e PeopleOs

(ational Assembly only parties recei>ing more t@an *N of t@e >otes in one oft@e last t@ree legislati>e elections and o>er 9 >otes in eac@ of twentyFfi>e

pro>inces would be eligible to propose slates. Parties would also Lualify if t@ey@a>e at least 2 elected members in t@e local or national assembliesdistributed across at least twentyFfi>e pro>inces wit@ no fewer t@an twentyelected members per pro>ince. 5irstFtime participants in legislati>e electionswould need to secure signatures from at least * registered electors for eac@seat contestedK for local elections t@ey would need t@e signatures of at least Nof registered >oters in t@e local district. If t@e law is passed only nine partiest@e (ational +iberation 5ront ;5+(ember 97.

L8 A:2-2

F $@e 644+aw on Associationsstates t@at ci>il society groups ;associations or(,3s< must retain autonomy from political partiesK cannot federate wit@foreign entitiesK and must publis@ principally in Arabic. +icenses are granted byt@e inistry of Interior. Associations can be dissol>ed by administrati>e courts.

F $@e 644 +aw on +abor #nions ;5renc@ $ext< reLuires a license granted by t@einistry of +abor in order to establis@ a trade union.

F -tate aut@orities @a>e failed to recogniGe unions ot@er t@an t@e ,eneral #nionof Algerian Jorers ;#,$A< as >alid partners in negotiations. 5or examplet@e "omit (ational de +iberts -yndicales ;"(+-idualdignity and t@e imperati>es of foreign policy and national defense.

F $@e Press +aw also set up a twel>eFmember )ig@ "ouncil of Information. ;-ixmembers were appointed by t@e president and t@e parliamentK t@e rest werec@osen by Hournalists


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)oriGons and alFassa. It also controls t@e -tate owned tele>ision ;($%< andt@e'adiodifussion Algrienne as well as most radio stations.

- -ome independent newspapers were set up in t@e early 644s w@en Hournalistswere encouraged by t@e state to set up new publications wit@ t@e assistance of

public funds.

F In 644* t@e go>ernment issued a decree stipulating t@at independentnewspapers could only print securityFrelated information based on officialgo>ernment bulletins.

F $@e re>ision of t@e Penal "ode in 96 added se>ere sanctions for Hournalistsand newspapers ranging from suspension of duties to @ea>y fines ;Algerian dinarsernment figures ci>il ser>ants Hudges and military officers. ournalistscan be tried for offending t@e )ead of -tate ;up to 69 mont@s and 9 0Ae years and 6 0A< and ot@er religions ;up to t@ree yearsand 0Aernment and t@e military. 5ormore information clice continued to

criticiGe t@e go>ernment and t@e presidency and indeed did so especially in t@erun up to t@e 9* presidential elections. $@is @as resulted in t@e se>ereapplication of sanctions against se>eral Hournalists and newspapers. o@amed&enc@icou ;editore been arrested andsuspended.

F In an unprecedented mo>e &outeflia announced on ay : 92 a pardon forHournalists sentenced to prison for Cgross insult to state officials offending t@epresident of t@e republic inHuring state institutions defamation and insult.D$@e pardon only applies to Hournalists w@o @a>e been definiti>ely con>icted

after appeal and not to t@ose w@ose appeals are still pending. &enc@icou wasreleased on une 6* 92 after ser>ing two years in prison on c@arges of>iolating currency regulations. $@e c@arges were >iewed by @uman rig@tsgroups as retaliation for @is newspaperBs critical editorial line.

F According to t@e annualJorldwide Press 5reedom Indexby 'eporters wit@out&orders Algeria rans 69: of 624 countries. $@e index runs from 6 ;most

press freedom< to 624 ;least press freedomati>e text e>en relati>e to t@epro>isions of ot@er Arab states. President &outeflia @as pus@ed for reform of



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t@e 5amily +aw despite opposition from wit@in t@e establis@ment and byIslamists. A presidential CordonnanceD was appro>ed by Parliament in latearc@ 9. It ens@rines reforms t@at gi>e women eLual rig@ts to di>orce andeLual rig@ts and duties in marriageK reLuire t@e @usband to obtain permissionfrom a Hudge to marry a second wifeK and allow women to marry wit@out

permission. It fails to abolis@ t@e figure of wali or tutor t@e reform pacagereLuires t@e presence of a wali in marriage but allows women o>er 64 to c@oosew@o t@e wali will be.

R:- G;6>- I2-2-2; A:-2? R2?


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AbdelaGiG &outeflia and replaced wit@ t@e (ational "onsultati>e "ommission fort@e Promotion and Protection of )uman 'ig@ts.

$@e C)aut "onseil de lBAmaGig@itD establis@ed in 644 is tased wit@

super>ising t@e teac@ing of t@e &erber language in sc@ools and its use in mass

media. embers are appointed by t@e president and report eit@er to t@e presidentor t@e cabinet not to t@e parliament. "onstitutional re>ision made t@e &erberlanguage ;nown in Algeria as AmaGig@< a national language in 99.



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P@2-2:@ F6:

P@2-2:@ P6-2

$wentyFtwo political parties are represented in t@e (ational Assembly. $@eyincludeE

F $@e ruling alliance is composed of t@e (ational +iberation 5ront ;5+(< and t@e0emocratic (ational 'ally ;'(0ement of -ocietyfor Peace ;)araat ouHtama alF-ilme elections.

F $@e opposition party wit@ t@e most seats ;92 of :84< was t@e Jorers PartyB;Parti des $ra>ailleurs )iGb alF#mmal


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$@e #,$A @as become @ea>ily politiciGed. It is accused of acting in t@e interest of

t@e regime and of collaborating wit@ t@e Algerian go>ernment in order toundermine union pluralism. $@e go>ernment refuses to engage wit@ autonomousunions. (umerous autonomous unions @a>e denounced acts of @arassment andrepression. $@e -(APAP @as since 96 repeatedly filed complaints against t@e

Algerian go>ernment at t@e International +abor 3rganiGation. A 99 reportbyt@e International 5ederation of )uman 'ig@ts ;5I0)< @ig@lig@ts instances of t@e>iolation of union freedoms.

Political pressure groupsE t@e &erber "ultural o>ement ;"&eral

;ri>al< womenBs groups.

$@ere are two independent @uman rig@ts groupsE t@e Algerian +eague for t@e

0efense of )uman 'ig@ts ;+A00)eral oft@eir members @a>e been imprisoned.

Islamic brot@er@oods ;Gawyias< and tribes are important local actors in t@e interior

of t@e country. $@e (ational Association of Qawyias for instance @as gi>en itssupport to President &outeflia in se>eral electoral processes. $ribes occasionally

play political roles as is t@e case of t@e Mabyle Protest o>ement.



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E@:-2 R@-

'esults for Presidential elections @eld on April 8 9*

N> C=2=- P6- $ 55@6 ;-AbdelaGiG &outeflia 0emocratic (ational 'ally

;'(0eillance initially reported t@at ballot boxes in t@e Algiers 0istrictand t@e sout@ern city of alF3ued were being stuffed wit@ 5+( ballots and t@at

obser>ers were being pre>ented from attending. )e later retracted @is statementand apologiGed. $@e "onstitutional "ouncil reHected appeals regarding t@eelection on ay : 97.

'esults for t@e +ocal lections @eld on (o>ember 94 97

P6- $ -

5+( :.

'(0 9*.

5(A 66.:

-P 6.7

Jorers Party 2.8

'"0 *.:

55- *.

Independents :.88

(a@da 6.7

'esults for +ocal lections ;AP" and APJ


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Constitutional Revision

$@e president and t@e parliament @a>e t@e rig@t to initiate amendments to t@e

constitution. A parliamentary initiati>e reLuires a t@ree Luarters maHority of t@emembers of t@e two c@ambers sitting in a Hoint session at t@e reLuest of t@e -peaerof t@e (ational "ouncil. Amendments must be adopted by bot@ c@ambersaccording to t@e procedure used for any ot@er law and t@en submitted to areferendum wit@in days. If t@e "onstitutional "ouncil agrees t@e amendmentdoes not @a>e to be submitted to a referendum.

Amendments cannot abrogate t@e republican nature of t@e state t@e multiparty

system national identity ;state religion and official languageen written newones. $@e 642: constitution was abolis@ed in 642 after a coup dBetat. In 6472 t@enational "@arter and a new constitution were drafted and appro>ed by nationalreferenda. $@e new constitution asserted a commitment to socialism and declaredt@e 5+( t@e sole legitimate political party. Amendments in 6484 ended t@ecommitment to socialism and t@e 5+(Bs monopoly but consolidated t@e powers oft@e president.

$@e 6484 "onstitution was suspended in 6449 and amended in 6442.

A referendum on constitutional amendments is planned for 98. Proposed

amendments are expected to extend t@e presidential term from fi>e years to se>enyears abrogate t@e twoFterm limit and introduce t@e position of >ice president.



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Corruption

$ransparency InternationalBs "orruption Perception Index 97rans Algeria 44t@

out of 68 countries.

$@e Algerian go>ernment declared t@e fig@t against corruption an official goal in

its 9* program. In order to adapt t@e Algerian legislati>e and Hudicial systems tot@e ratified International "on>ention against "orruption President &outeflia setup in (o>ember 9* a woring group composed of ministry officials t@emagistrates of t@e -upreme "ourt and t@e -tate "ouncil as well as t@e general

prosecutors to t@e courts. It recommended a national strategy against moneylaundering and ot@er financial crimes.

"apital flig@t in Algeria between 6477 and 99 was estimated at ::4.:

million ;in 644 #- < by Almounsor.

$@e @ydrocarbons giant -3(A$'A") and t@e Army enHoy generous pro>isions

relating to t@e granting of loans and credit. "onsiderable parts of t@eir operationsare neit@er discussed in Parliament nor c@anneled openly t@roug@ t@e national

budget.

"oncessions for a number of prominent import companies @a>e not followed

regular procedures.



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Ratification of International Conventions

International "o>enant on "i>il and Political 'ig@ts ;""P'< on -eptember 69

6484

International "o>enant on conomic -ocial and "ultural 'ig@ts ;"-"'< on

-eptember 69 6484

$@e "on>ention on t@e limination of All 5orms of $orture and 3t@er "ruel

In@uman or 0egrading $reatment or Punis@ment ;"A$< on -eptember 69 6484

$@e International "on>ention on t@e limination of All 5orms of 'acial

0iscrimination ;"'0< on 5ebruary 6* 6479

$@e "on>ention of on t@e limination of All 5orms of 0iscrimination againstJomen ;"0AJ< on ay 99 6442

$@e "on>ention on t@e 'ig@ts of t@e "@ild ;"'"< on April 62 644: and also t@e

con>entions on trade union freedom of association and collecti>e bargaining ;bot@in 6429

Algeria APS

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