NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

INTERACTIVE ELECTION MAPS

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
For latest updates on nCOVID-19 around the world visit our INTERACTIVE COVID MAP
Politics
International
Africa

Algeria Announces Referendum on New Constitution in November

The new constitution, the fourth since 1962, will have term limits for the president and will give more powers to the prime minister and the parliament.
Peoples Dispatch
26 Aug 2020
Algeria Announces Referendum on New Constitution in November

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

On November 1, 2020, Algeria will hold a referendum on the new constitution, the office of president Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Monday, August 24. The draft of the constitution will be submitted to the parliament before the referendum for debate and approval.

The announcement was made after president Tebboune met with the president of the country’s National Electoral Authority on Monday. “During this meeting and, in light of the consultations of the President of the Republic with the parties concerned, it was decided to set the date of November 1, 2020 for the holding of the referendum on the draft revision of the Constitution,” the press release said.

The proposed constitution would have a limit of two terms for the president and will give more powers to the parliament and the prime minister. The original draft of the present constitution of Algeria adopted in 1989 and revised in 1996 also had term limits for the president. However, it was amended during the long rule of Abdelaziz Bouteflika (1999-2019).

Algeria has had a number of constitutions since its independence from French colonial occupation in 1962. It had its first constitution in 1963. It adopted new constitutions or amended the previous one on several occasions in 1976, 1989, 1996 and 2016. 

The proposed new constitution is in response to the demands for large-scale political reforms in the country. The demands were raised by the popular protest movement, known as the Hirak, which has been going on since February 2019, after Bouteflika announced his candidature for the fifth term.

Despite Bouteflika’s resignation in April last year, the protesters continued demanding comprehensive reforms in the country’s political system and action against corruption. The current president Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected in December and had promised to address concerns raised by the protesters. Several politicians, including some former prime ministers, have been jailed on corruption charges. Tebboune had announced the formation of a committee of experts to draft the constitution in January.   

The Tebboune government, however, has also taken oppressive measures against the protesters. Several activists and journalists have been arrested and sentenced to various jail terms due to their participation in the protests. In March this year, using COVID-19 outbreak as a pretext, the government also banned all protests in the country.

This article was first punlished in Peoples Dispatch.

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Algeria protests
Hirak movement
political reforms in Algeria
Related Stories
Algerian Journalist Khaled Drareni Sentenced

Algerian Journalist Khaled Drareni Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Facebook Posts

Chile Uprising

Around The World 74: Chile Uprising, Algeria Protests

Algerian people protest against president Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Algerians Continue Mass Mobilisations, Reject Offers of Talks

The elections held on December 12 were widely boycotted. Photo: Al-monitor

A New President Elected in Algeria Amid Large-Scale Popular Boycott

Anger Erupts in Algeria as Bouteflika

Anger Erupts in Algeria as Bouteflika Ally Wins in Largely Boycotted Polls

Algerians demand a boycott of the Presidential elections scheduled on December 12. Photo: Reuters

Protesters Call for Boycott of Upcoming Presidential Elections in Algeria

Algerians Demand Removal of All Vestiges of Bouteflika Regime

around the world in 8 minutes

Around the World in 8 Minutes: Episode 29 | International News on Working Class & Popular Struggles

Demonstrators had been calling for elections to be delayed and for Bensalah to step down.

Algeria: What Does the Cancellation of Elections Mean to the Protest Movement?

Protests in Sudan and Algeria Will Reshape the Region

Protests in Sudan and Algeria Will Reshape the Region

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share

Related Stories

Peoples Dispatch

Algeria to Hold Early Legislative Elections Following November Referendum

23 September 2020
Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced on Sunday, September 20, that the country will hold early legislative elections after a scheduled
Peoples Dispatch

Algerian Journalist Khaled Drareni’s Prison Term Reduced But Only by a Year

17 September 2020
Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni, who was 
Peoples Dispatch

Algerian Journalist Abdulkrim Zeghileche Faces Prison Term for “Undermining National Unity”

21 August 2020
Within weeks of Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • Without Salaries for Months, Cash-Starved PSUs Employees Protest in J&K

    Without Salaries for Months, Cash-Starved PSUs Employees Protest in J&K

  • Govt Mistaken That Only Punjab, Haryana Farmers in Battle Against Agri Laws: Hemant Soren

    Govt Mistaken That Only Punjab, Haryana Farmers in Battle Against Agri Laws: Hemant Soren

  • Fire in Serum Institute in Pune; Covishield Facility Not Affected

    5 Dead in Serum Institute Fire in Pune; Covishield Facility Not Affected

  • Two More Journalists’ Bodies Condemn Adani Group’s ‘Relentless’ Pursuit of Matter Against Journalist

    Two More Journalists’ Bodies Condemn Adani Group’s ‘Relentless’ Pursuit of Matter Against Journalist

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about