5 est.)

Algeria Government

Country name: conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic
of Algeria

conventional short form: Algeria

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah

local short form: Al Jaza'ir

Government type: republic

Capital: Algiers

Administrative divisions: 48 provinces (wilayas, singular - wilaya);
Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar,
Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef,
Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma,
Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila,
Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane,
Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset,
Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Independence: 5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

Constitution: 19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised
3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996; note -
referendum approving the revisions of 28 November 1996 was signed
into law 7 December 1996

Legal system: socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial
review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed
of various public officials, including several Supreme Court
justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA
(since 28 April 1999)

head of government: Prime Minister Ali BENFLIS (since 26 August
2000)

cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 15 April 1999 (next to be held NA April 2004);
prime minister appointed by the president

election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA elected president; percent
of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA over 70%; note - his six opposing
candidates withdrew on the eve of the election citing electoral fraud

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the National
People's Assembly or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (380 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the
Council of Nations (144 seats; one-third of the members appointed by
the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote; members serve
six-year terms; the constitution requires half the council to be