Algeria launches early legislative elections campaign  

Algeria yesterday launched an early legislative elections campaign ahead of the polls which are due to take place on 12 June.

Campaigning will continue until 8 June, the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE) announced.

The upcoming legislative election will be held for the first time following the 22 February 2019 uprising against the regime of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Some 1,483 electoral lists have registered to take part in the ballots, including 837 independents and 646 lists representing 28 political parties.

They are made up of more than 25,000 candidates who are competing for 407 seats in the National People’s Assembly.

This is the first time in the country’s history that the number of independent lists surpasses the parties’ lists, after an electoral law was passed months ago to financially support young candidates who are under 40, with the aim of funding their campaigns.

In early March, Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune issued a decree dissolving the National People’s Assembly, which has been in place since Bouteflika’s era, and called for holding early legislative elections.

The Socialist Forces Front (FFS), the Workers’ Party (left-wing), the Rally for Culture and Democracy are among the groups who have announced a boycott of the elections, claiming the situation constitutes an attempt to impose a new political roadmap.

READ: Algeria is going to the polls in June: Is this victory for the Hirak Movement?