Algeria's elections: The prelude to democractisation

Third World Quarterly

Volumn 19, Issue 2, 1998, Pages 177-190

  Bouandel, Youcef ^a   Zoubir, Yahia H ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN   (United Kingdom)

^b Garvin School of International Management   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DEMOCRATISATION; ELECTION; NATIONAL POLITICS; POLITICAL CHANGE;

ALGERIA;

EID: 0031878911     PISSN: 01436597     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/01436599814406     Document Type: Article

References (27)

1. For a detailed analysis of this election see Y Bouandel, 'Algeria's first presidential election, November 1995', Representation, 34 (3&4) 1997; YH Zoubir, 'Ballots not bullets', Janes Defence Weekly, 7 February 1996.
2. For a detailed analysis of this election see Y Bouandel, 'Algeria's first presidential election, November 1995', Representation, 34 (3&4) 1997; YH Zoubir, 'Ballots not bullets', Janes Defence Weekly, 7 February 1996.
3. For an interesting discussion of this memorandum see H Roberts, 'The Zeroual memorandum: the Algerian state and the problem of liberal reforms', Journal of Algerian Studies, 1(1), 1996, pp 1-19.
4. el Watan (Algiers), 11 July 1996.
5. This argument is developed in YH Zoubir, 'Transitions from authoritarianism to democracy: the Latin American experience and its relevance to the Middle East: Brazil and Algeria in comparative perspective', Paper presented at the Middle East Studies Association 31st Annual meeting, San Francisco, CA November 1997.
6. For details, see in particular Article 40 of the 1989 Constitution, which provided for the creation of 'associations of political character' and Articles 4 and 5 of the law on the modalities and applications of these associations. Journal Officiel de la Republique Algérienne (JORA); for an interesting discussion see YH Zoubir, 'Stalled democratization of an authoritarian regime: the case of Algeria,' Democratization, 2 (2), 1995, pp 118ff.
7. For details, see in particular Article 40 of the 1989 Constitution, which provided for the creation of 'associations of political character' and Articles 4 and 5 of the law on the modalities and applications of these associations. Journal Officiel de la Republique Algérienne (JORA); for an interesting discussion see YH Zoubir, 'Stalled democratization of an authoritarian regime: the case of Algeria,' Democratization, 2 (2), 1995, pp 118ff.
8. For details see Presidential Decree no 97-58, JORA, 6 March 1997
9. For details see YH Zoubir, 'The painful transition from authoritarianism in Algeria', Arab Studies Quarterly, 15 (3), 1993, p 98.
10. The Movement for Democracy in Algeria (MDA) of Ahmed Ben Bella, first president of independent Algeria 1962-1965, was dissolved on 11 June 1997 for failing to conform to the new law. Other less representative parties are also likely to be affected. Le Monde, 13 June 1997, Benyoucef Benkhedda, for example, dissolved his insignificant Islamic party, Al Ummah (community of believers).
11. JORA, 5 August 1989.
12. For further details see B Iratni & MS Tahi, 'The aftermath of Algeria's first free local elections', Government and Opposition, 26 (4), 1992, pp 466-479.
13. Y Bouandel, 'Algerian national popular assembly election of December 1991', Representation, 32 (117), 1993-94, p 12.
14. Y Bouandel, 'Political reforms in Algeria and the failure of the democratic transition', Paper presented to the Centre for Democratisation, University of Leeds, 12 November 1996.
15. For further details see Presidential Decree no 97-58, JORA, 6 March 1997.
16. Nahnah, interviewed by YH Zoubir, Algiers, 3 June 1997.
17. This section is based on YH Zoubir's direct observations during the campaign.
18. Mohamed Benmansour at rally in Algiers, 3 June 1997; and Habib Chawki on state television, ENTV, 3 June 1997, observed by YH Zoubir in Algiers.
19. Le Monde, 8-9 June 1997.
20. Le Monde, 8-9 June 1997.
21. Le Monde, 10 June 1997.
22. Ibid.
23. Zoubir owes this point to Hugh Roberts during a discussion at the Middle East Studies Association meeting in San Francisco, CA 24 November 1997.
24. El Khabar, 25 October 1997.
25. Le Monde, 28 October 1997.
26. El Khabar, 25 October 1997.
27. French analysts often attribute to the Algerian regime a character that supposedly no other authoritarian regime possesses. In our analysis, we view the Algerian government as no worse than other authoritarian regimes and thus believe that it has the potential to change and move down a less authoritarian path.