By Abdel Razek Abdallah
ALGIERS (AA) – Algerian voters will head to the polls on Thursday to elect members of the country’s national assembly.
Some 12,000 candidates from 35 different political parties — including almost 4,000 women — will compete for seats in the country’s 462-member parliament.
Only 11 parties, however, four of which are close to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, are expected to win a significant number of seats.
These include Bouteflika’s ruling National Liberation Front, the National Democratic Rally, the People’s Movement of Algeria and the Rally of Algerian Hope.
The polls will also see the participation of several prominent opposition parties, including the Movement of Society for Peace, the Socialist Forces Front, the Workers Party and the National Algerian Front.
Thursday’s election will be Algeria’s sixth legislative poll since 1989, when the country adopted a multi-party system.
Algeria’s last parliamentary poll was held in 2012.
