The Algerian National People’s Assembly is poised to elect a woman as its speaker, a first in the country’s history since independence. The matter appears to have been decided in favor of National Liberation Front (FLN) MP Khalida Boufedache, who enjoys broad support from the presidential majority parties, facing only symbolic competition from opposition parties.
The newly sworn-in members of parliament are awaiting Tuesday's session to elect the speaker of the tenth legislative term, confirming the decision reached by the major parties to support the National Liberation Front (FLN) candidate, Khalida Boufedech, for the position. In her political career, Boufedech, a physician by training, served as a member of the Algiers Provincial People's Assembly before moving to the National People's Assembly following the last legislative elections.
If elected, Boufech would become the first woman to head the lower house of parliament, a high-ranking position in the state hierarchy, after the president and the speaker of the National Assembly. This nomination also carries significant political weight, as it comes within a broader trend toward increasing women's representation in leadership roles, despite the fact that the last parliamentary elections resulted in a decline in the number of women in parliament, with only 25 female members out of 407.
Parliamentary sources indicate that the agreement within the majority parties came after consultations between the forces forming the parliamentary belt supporting the executive authority, including the National Liberation Front, the National Democratic Rally and the Future Front, while deputies from the National Construction Movement stated that they did not receive special instructions to support any candidate.
In recent days, other names had been circulating for the position, including the Secretary-General of the National Democratic Rally, Munther Bouden, in addition to the former governor, Atta Allah Moulati, and the professor of political science, Ismail Debch. However, the consultations ended with the preference for the name of Khalida Boufdach, within the framework of political and organizational balances within the majority camp.
Despite recognizing the difficulty of the competition, the opposition parties decided to run in the elections, confirming, according to their statements, their constitutional right to compete for the presidency of the legislative institution.
The parliamentary group of the Islamist Movement for a Peaceful Society announced the nomination of its representative for the Oran constituency, Amin Allouche, for the presidency of the National People’s Assembly, stressing that the step comes in embodiment of the provisions of the constitution and the laws regulating the work of parliament, and in consolidation of the principle of political pluralism and democratic competition within the legislative institution.
The movement said its nomination reflects its conviction of the need to strengthen the position of the legislative authority, enshrine its independence, and improve its performance within the framework of respecting the constitution and the separation of powers. It also called on MPs to vote for its candidate, considering that he possesses experience and competence in parliamentary and electoral work.
For its part, the Rally for Culture and Democracy from the democratic camp announced the nomination of MP Rachid Hassani as a candidate for the presidency of the National People’s Assembly, considering that this step falls within a tradition that the party has consistently adopted during previous terms.
The party explained in a statement that its nomination is not merely a symbolic gesture, but reflects its commitment to the principle of political pluralism and the right of the opposition to offer alternatives within institutions, criticizing what it described as turning the election of the Speaker of Parliament into a predetermined outcome due to the balance of power outside the chamber.
The party also called for a more independent parliament that fulfills its roles in legislation, oversight, and evaluation of public policies, while guaranteeing the rights of the opposition and allowing for parliamentary debate.
The inaugural session of the new deputies was opened by the oldest deputy, assisted by the two youngest deputies, within a temporary office that would oversee the verification of membership and the opening of the new parliamentary term, before proceeding to the election of the Speaker of the House.
The importance of the inaugural session is not limited to its protocol aspect, as it constitutes the actual launch of the new council, since the election of the president is immediately followed by the formation of the rest of the council’s structures, through the election of the vice presidents, heads of standing committees and their deputies and rapporteurs, which allows for the commencement of legislative and oversight tasks.
Article 131 of the Constitution stipulates that the Speaker of the National People's Assembly is elected for a full legislative term, while Article 134 outlines the general framework for the formation of the Assembly's bodies. If there are multiple candidates, the election is conducted by secret ballot, requiring an absolute majority to win in the first round. If this is not achieved, a second round is held, in which the candidate with a relative majority wins.
The Speaker of the National People’s Assembly derives the importance of his position from the powers vested in him, as he oversees the conduct of the Assembly’s work, sets its agenda, and represents it within and outside Algeria, in addition to his participation in a number of constitutional bodies and consultations.
The results of the recent legislative elections give a clear advantage to the presidential majority in deciding this entitlement, after the National Liberation Front topped the final results with 91 seats, followed by the National Democratic Rally with 74 seats, then the Future Front with 56 seats, the National Construction Movement with 40 seats, the independent lists with 33 seats, and the People's Voice Party with 16 seats.
In contrast, the Movement for a Peaceful Society came at the forefront of the opposition parties with 43 seats, followed by the Socialist Forces Front with 12 seats, then the Rally for Culture and Democracy and the Justice and Development Front with four seats each, along with the Workers' Party with three seats and other parties with limited representation.
The Constitutional Court announced the final election results on July 18, after reviewing 320 appeals, accepting 43 and rejecting the rest. It also made automatic corrections in several states after reviewing the polling station records, but these did not alter the overall balance of power within the council. The final results maintained the voter turnout at 21.24 percent, and the new composition of the council showed 126 members under the age of 40 and 312 members with university degrees.
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