Algeria’s largest Islamist party to vote against constitutional changes

Lawyers, mask-clad due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, chant slogans and wave an Algerian national flag as they demonstrate outside the Court of Algiers in Algeria’s capital on September 27, 2020 calling for the “independence of the judiciary”. (Photo by – / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Algeria’s largest Islamist party said that it will vote against in the referendum on constitutional changes that is set to be held in November.

The Movement of Society for Peace announced its position on the constitution in a statement issued following a Shura Council meeting, the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reported.

According to the statement, the party will take part in the referendum and will vote against the constitutional changes.

The statement did not provide the reasons behind the decision, but senior leaders of the Islamist party previously criticised the process of drafting the amendments, saying that it was dominated by the government.

Last year Algeria witnessed mass protests, which came to be known as the Hirak movement and which ousted long-serving President Abdelaziz Bouteflika but fell short of achieving deeper changes.

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