On 12 June 2021, Algerians will be called to the polls for snap legislative elections.
Announced on 11 March by President Tebboune following the dissolution of the People’s National Assembly (ANP) on 22 February, these elections will be closely followed by Algerian and international political observers as well as by the citizens themselves, who have been mobilised for more than two years as part of the popular Hirak movement.
While it was feared that the movement would lose momentum due to the cancellation of demonstrations in the context of the pandemic, it has survived online and has been mobilising again since February 2021.
With the elections only a few weeks away, the situation remains rather tense. The prosecution/arrests of human rights activists (such as that of Kaddour Chouicha, vice-president of the Algerian League of Human Rights), journalists and citizens continue. In a press release dated 11 May 2021, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that “the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and participation in public affairs continue to be under attack” and regretted the use of “unnecessary and disproportionate force against peaceful protesters”.
Recent measures are also seen as a desire by the authorities to break up a popular protest movement that is tired of the government, such as the recent obligation to declare the planned demonstrations in advance.
Beyond the election result, it is the turnout rate that will be scrutinised by the Algerian population, given the call for a boycott of these snap legislative elections launched by the opposition and some movements that emerged from the Hirak. Whatever happens, the parliament resulting from these elections will have to respond to the key demands of the Algerian people, particularly as regards the fight against corruption and respect for the rule of law.