Government and Politics

Government and Politics of Algeria

Government structure, leadership, capital, military, and national symbols of Algeria.

Government Structure

Constitutional foundations, branches, parties, and leadership.

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 or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be renewed every three years) elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30 December 2003 (next to be held in 2006) election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT 21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA
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 Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a third term under 2008 amendment to constitution); election last held 8 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
Election Results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA was reelected president for a third term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 90.2%, Louisa HANOUNE 4.2%, Moussa TOUATI 2.3%, Djahid YOUNSI 1.4%, Ali Fawzi REBIANE less than 1%, Mohamed SAID less than 1%
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

Seat of government and political history.

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

Embassy and Diplomatic Representation

Embassy location and contact details.

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, service obligations, expenditures, and manpower.

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)

National Symbols

Flag, anthem, and other symbols of national identity.

National Flag

Flag Symbolism: has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red, five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion). Meanings of the colors: green for the Islam and white for purity. According to "Lexikon Flaggen und Wappen", Germany, 1990, the white color also reminds of Abd al-Kadir, who used a White flag in his fight against the French in 1847.
Date of Adoption: 3 July 1962

National Anthem

Anthem Lyrics: Qassaman Binnazilat Ilmahiqat Waddimaa Izzakiyat Ittahirat Qassa Walbonood Illamiaat Ilkhafiqat F'Ilgibal Ishshamikhat Ishshahiqat Nahno Thurna Fahayaton Aw ma maaat Wa Aqadna Alazma An Tahya Algazair Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Nahno Gondon Fi Sabil Il hakki Thorna Wa Ila Isstiqlalina Bilharbi Kumna. Lam Yakon Yossgha Lana Lamma Natakna Fattakhathna Rannat AIbaroodi Wazna. Wa Azafna Naghamat Alrashshashi Lahna Wa Aqadna Alazmat An Tahya Algazair. Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Nahno min Abtalina Nadfaoo Gondan Wa Ala Ashlaina Nassnaoo Magdan. Wa Ala Hamatina Narfao Bandan. Gabhato' Ltahreeri Aataynaki Ahdan Wa Aqadna Alazma An Tahya Algazair. Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Sarkhato 'lawtani min Sah Ilfida Issmaooha Wasstageebo Linnida Waktobooha Bidimaa Ilshohadaa Wakraooha Libany Ilgeeli ghadan. Kad Madadna Laka Ya Magdo Yada Wa Aqadna Alazma An Tahya Algazair. Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo! Fashhadoo!
Anthem Lyrics (English): 1. We swear by the lightning that destroys, By the streams of generous blood being shed, By the bright flags that wave, Flying proudly on the high djebels, That we are in revolt, whether to live or to die, We are determined that Algeria should live, So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness! 2. We are soldiers in revolt for truth And we have fought for our independence. When we spoke, nobody listened to us, So we have taken the noise of gunpowder as our rhythm And the sound of machine guns as our melody, We are determined that Algeria should live, So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness! 3. Ô France! Past is the time of palavers We closed it as we close a book Ô France! The day to settle the accounts has come! Prepare yourself! Here is our answer! The verdict, our Revolution will return it We are determined that Algeria should live, So be our witness - be our witness - be our witness! 4. From our heroes we shall make an army come to being, From our dead we shall build up a glory, Our spirits shall ascend to immortality And on our shoulders we shall raise the Standard. To the nation's Liberation Front we have sworn an oath, We are determined that Algeria should live, So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness! 5. The cry of the Fatherland sounds from the battlefields. Listen to it and answer the call! Let it be written with the blood of martyrs And be read to future generations. Oh, Glory, we have held out our hand to you, We are determined that Algeria should live, So be our witness -be our witness -be our witness!
Anthem History: The words to "Qassaman" were written in 1956 in Serkaji-Barberousse Prison in Algiers, where the author Moufdi Zakaria was incarcerated by the colonial forces. The poem was put into music, first by Mohamed Triki in 1956, then by the Egyptian composer Mohamed Fawzi. It became the National Anthem after the independence of Algeria on July 5th 1962.

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