Fatej Guidoum
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune dissolved the parliament, which was still elected under Bouteflika, in February after mass protests and promised “fundamental change”.
Opponents of the government want to disempower the previous political elite. For months, thousands have been taking to the streets for this. They see the current leadership as a continuation of the old system. With the support of the military, Bouteflika had held power for 20 years. In April 2019, he was ousted from office after ongoing mass protests.
Shortly before the start of the election, the authorities released several detained activists and journalists in the morning, a defense lawyer said. They were arrested on Thursday. The UN and Amnesty International have long criticized arbitrary arrests during demonstrations.
Many supporters of the protest movement and opposition politicians want to boycott the election. A low turnout is expected. First results are expected on Monday. The vote was originally scheduled for May 2022. A bitter civil war raged in Algeria in the 1990s. Today the country is considered relatively stable.