About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 [1] (December 6, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govebbp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Inforrning the legislative debate since 1914 Updated December 6, 2019 Algeria Months of large, peaceful protests in Algeria have upended the political establishment and ushered in a new era of uncertainty. The protests began in February 2019, sparked by then-President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to seek a fifth term in a vote due that April, despite his evident ill health and advanced age (81). Bouteflika withdrew from the race in March, then resigned on April 2 after military chief of staff General Ahmed Gaid Salah (a onetime ally) called for his impeachment. Law enforcement bodies have since arrested business leaders, military intelligence officials, and politicians on corruption and state security charges; some, but not all, were seen as close to Bouteflika. Senate leader Abdelkader Bensalah assumed the position of interim president after Bouteflika resigned, in line with constitutional succession provisions. He has remained in that post despite the expiration of his 90-day mandate under the constitution, as elections planned for July were canceled after the Constitutional Council disqualified the two candidates who had registered. The presidential election has since been rescheduled for December 12. Five candidates have registered, all of whom served either in the cabinet or legislature under Bouteflika. Tens of thousands of protesters have continued to turn out weekly. Many reject the election as premature, the candidates as representing political continuity, and military leaders for steering the transition. Dozens have been arrested in recent months on various, often vague charges. General Gaid Salah, who has positioned himself as a power broker without explicitly seizing control, has strongly backed the election calendar, characterizing protests as the dangerous product of outside interference. Politics: Context Algeria remained politically stable amid regional turmoil between 2011 and 2018, but the prospect of an uncertain leadership transition loomed large as members of the revolutionary generation (which fought for independence from France) aged. A strong presidency and security apparatus, a state-centric economy with an emerging oligarchic business class, and social welfare programs fueled by oil and natural gas revenues have defined the political system. Decision-making under Bouteflika was often opaque, with politicians, security officials, and business leaders reportedly wielding influence. This system brought relative stability and living standard improvements to a country wracked by violence in the 1990s. Yet in recent years, analysts observed political paralysis due to a lack of elite consensus over the post-Bouteflika era. Bouteflika was first elected president in 1999 with military backing, as Algeria's decade-long conflict with Islamist armed groups was waning. He introduced reconciliation initiatives and sought to exert greater control over the army and intelligence service. Bouteflika was reelected in 2014 despite being physically debilitated from a stroke. Figure I. Algeria at a Glance Population: 417/ miion , r Languages: Arabic. (offic°ial),. Frnch. , Beher dialects Sunnri) 99%, , other <1% ( 20=12) Life Expectancy: 77 yars Population Under 24 Years old: 4% Literacy: 10% (2015) GDP: owth rae 2 pe Unemployment: 11.6 Exports: petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum produ ts Source: CRS graphic; data from CIA World Factbook + IMF (2018). The bicameral parliament is institutionally weak and dominated by two parties that backed Bouteflika: the National Liberation Front (FLN), which led Algeria's fight for independence and was the sole legal party for decades, and the National Rally for Democracy (RND), considered close to the military. The political opposition is diverse and divided, comprising leftist, Islamist, Berber-led, and regionally focused groups. Many parties exhibit internal divisions. Some analysts argue that political Islam has been discredited in Algeria due to Islamists' role in the 1990s civil conflict, or-alternatively-due to some Islamist politicians' accommodation with the state. The Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), whose rapid electoral gains in 1991 sparked a military coup and the subsequent conflict, remains banned. Religiously conservative Salafist social movements have grown in prominence since the conflict. Terrorism and Counterterrorism Cells linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) are reportedly active in some areas, but the pace of terrorist attacks has continuously decreased since the early 2000s. State security forces conduct frequent counterterrorism operations, and they have bolstered their presence in border regions since the outbreak of wars in Libya and Mali in 2011. The government also runs de-radicalization programs and has sought to control the content of religious sermons. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a regional network, originated as an insurgent faction in Algeria's 1990s conflict and aligned itself with Al Qaeda in 2006. AQIM's leader reportedly remains based in northeast Algeria, but the group's center of gravity has moved south and east over the past decade. An AQIM splinter faction claimed an assault in 2013 on a natural gas plant in southeast Algeria in which 39 foreigners (including three Americans) were killed. In 2017, AQIM's southern branch joined a Malian-led coalition known as the Group for Supporting Islam and Muslims (JNIM after its transliterated Arabic name). AQIM elements and offshoots are also active in Libya and Tunisia. In 2014, an IS affiliate known as Jund al Khilafah (soldiers of the caliphate) emerged in northern Algeria and ps://crsreports.congress.qo

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most