As reported by Al Jazeera on 9 April 2017, campaigning for the next
Algerian parliamentary election due to be held on 4 May 2017 has commenced. 12,000 candidates belonging to various parties are competing for 462 seats in the National Assembly. The government is trying to ensure that the turnout for the election will be better than in previous years. It will be the first to be held since the adoption of constitutional amendments meant to enhance the power of the legislature. The ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), which has been in power since independence in 1962, is expected to win the election.
Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "Although government leaders were able to ward off any instability and chaos in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings, the situation in Algeria is precarious: Economic challenges and a decline in oil and gas revenues have undermined the regime"s legitimacy. In the past the ruling party has provided subsided social services and benefits to shore up its support, but the slump in energy prices is making this tactic increasingly difficult. Furthermore, the fact that there seems to be no clear succession plan within the FLN - despite President Bouteflika"s age and deteriorating health - is a cause for concern for many Algerians. Given the alarming situation for Christians in neighboring Libya, Algerian Christians and other religious minorities would feel safer if the Algerian government could manage to maintain the relative security and stability it has been able to guarantee so far."
