Government and Politics of Algeria

Government Type

republic

Administrative Divisions

48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Legal System

socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: the mother must be a citizen of Algeria dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE (since 19 December 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Nadir LARBAOUI (since 16 November 2023) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 7 September 2024 (next to be held in 2029); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE reelected president for a second term; percent of vote - Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE 94.7%, Abdelaali HASSANI CHERIF 3.2%, Youcef AOUCHICHE 2.2%

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Al-Watani Al-Chaabi) and the Council of the Nation (Senate). The National People's Assembly has 407 seats, with members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. The Council of the Nation has 174 seats; one-third of the members are appointed by the president, and two-thirds are elected by indirect vote through an electoral college composed of local and regional elected officials. Members of the Council serve six-year terms, with half the council renewed every three years as required by the constitution. Elections: National People's Assembly — last held on 12 June 2021; Council of the Nation — last held on 5 February 2022. Election results: National People's Assembly — percent of vote by party — NA; seats by party — FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, Future Front 48, National Construction Movement 39, other parties and independents 99. Council of the Nation — percent of vote by party — NA; seats by party — FLN 54, RND 22, MSP 9, other parties and independents 55, presidential appointees 58.

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court

Political Parties

Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA, secretary general]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS (outlawed April 1992) [Ali BELHADJ and Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR (self-exiled in Germany)]; National Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general (also serves as minister of state and special representative of the head of state)]; National Reform Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE]; Progressive Republican Party [Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SAADI, secretary general]; Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general (self-exiled in Switzerland)]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or MSP [Boujerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN] note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted in March 1997

Head of State

President Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE

Head of Government

Prime Minister Nadir LARBAOUI

Cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

Elections

National People's Assembly — last held on 12 June 2021; Council of the Nation — last held on 5 February 2022.

Election Results

National People's Assembly — percent of vote by party — NA; seats by party — FLN 98, MSP 65, RND 58, Future Front 48, National Construction Movement 39, other parties and independents 99. Council of the Nation — percent of vote by party — NA; seats by party — FLN 54, RND 22, MSP 9, other parties and independents 55, presidential appointees 58.

Constitution

19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996

Independence

5 July 1962 (from France)

National Holiday

Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

International Organization Participation

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE (partner), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-2800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2174

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Richard W. ERDMAN embassy: 4 Chemin Cheikh Bachir El-Ibrahimi, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: [213] (21) 69-12-55 FAX: [213] (21) 69-39-79

Capital City

Algiers

Location

36 45 N, 3 03 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

History

name derives from the Arabic "al-Jazair" meaning "the islands" and refers to the four islands formerly off the coast of the capital but joined to the mainland since 1525

U.S. Embassy, Algiers, Algeria 5 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi, El-Biar 16030 Alger Algerie Telephone: [213] 770-08-20-00, which can also be reached after hours. Email: ACSAlgiers@state.gov

Military Branches

People's National Army (Armee Nationale Populaire, ANP), Land Forces (Forces Terrestres, FT), Navy of the Republic of Algeria (Marine de la Republique Algerienne, MRA), Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jaza'eriya, QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force

Service Age and Obligation

17 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 19-30 years of age for compulsory service; conscript service obligation is 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months civil projects)