The new Elections Law, issued by Royal Decree on July 22, 2001, raises the number of Lower House seats from 80 to 104, increases the number of constituencies from 21 to 44, redistributes parliamentary seats, and lowers the voting age from 19 to 18.
Elections are overseen by the Ministry of Interior, which appoints representatives to organize and monitor election proceedings at the local level.
Election results were as follows: tribal candidates and candidates of conservative social forces achieved a decisive victory by capturing 84 parliamentary seats, while leftist and nationalist political parties failed to win any seat in parliament.
The election results that are the product of these troubling developments have relevance for the United States as it seeks to fight terrorism, promote reform, and insure the stability of friendly Arab regimes.
The May 30th elections suggest the deep antipathy that many Algerians have for their leaders, and thus reveal some challenges for US policy towards the Arab world.
The near-silence of US officials concerning the parliamentary elections, like the silence when Tunisias May 26th constitutional referendum was supposedly approved by 99.5% of voters, sends a clear message about American lack of resolve concerning political reform in authoritarian Arab regimes that are partners in the war against terrorism.
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