| Country: | Algeria |
| Previous Election: | 2007 |
| Next Election: | 2017 |
| Seats For Election: | All 462 seats in the People's National Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 232 |
| Turnout: | 43.14% |
| Party1: | National Liberation Front (Algeria) |
| Percentage1: | 17.35 |
| Seats1: | 208 |
| Last Election1: | 136 |
| Party2: | National Rally for Democracy (Algeria) |
| Percentage2: | 6.86 |
| Seats2: | 68 |
| Last Election2: | 62 |
| Party3: | Green Algeria Alliance |
| Percentage3: | 6.22 |
| Seats3: | 49 |
| Last Election3: | 59 |
| Party4: | Workers' Party (Algeria) |
| Percentage4: | 3.71 |
| Seats4: | 24 |
| Last Election4: | 26 |
| Percentage5: | 3.05 |
| Seats5: | 8 |
| Last Election5: | 0 |
| Party6: | Algerian National Front |
| Percentage6: | 2.60 |
| Seats6: | 9 |
| Last Election6: | 13 |
| Party7: | Socialist Forces Front |
| Percentage7: | 2.47 |
| Seats7: | 27 |
| Last Election7: | 0 |
| Party8: | Future Front |
| Percentage8: | 2.29 |
| Seats8: | 2 |
| Last Election8: | 0 |
| Percentage9: | 2.28 |
| Seats9: | 4 |
| Last Election9: | 0 |
| Party10: | Algerian Popular Movement |
| Percentage10: | 2.17 |
| Seats10: | 7 |
| Last Election10: | 0 |
| Party11: | National Front for Social Justice |
| Percentage11: | 1.84 |
| Seats11: | 3 |
| Last Election11: | 0 |
| Party12: | New Dawn (Algeria) |
| Percentage12: | 1.74 |
| Seats12: | 5 |
| Last Election12: | 0 |
| Party13: | Dignity Party (Algeria) |
| Percentage13: | 1.70 |
| Seats13: | 2 |
| Last Election13: | 0 |
| Party14: | Ahd 54 |
| Percentage14: | 1.57 |
| Seats14: | 3 |
| Last Election14: | 2 |
| Party15: | National Movement of Hope |
| Percentage15: | 1.56 |
| Seats15: | 2 |
| Last Election15: | 2 |
| Party16: | Algerian Rally |
| Percentage16: | 1.54 |
| Seats16: | 2 |
| Last Election16: | 1 |
| Party17: | El-Infitah Movement |
| Percentage17: | 1.52 |
| Seats17: | 1 |
| Last Election17: | 3 |
| Party18: | Movement of Free Citizens (Algeria) |
| Percentage18: | 1.51 |
| Seats18: | 1 |
| Last Election18: | 0 |
| Party19: | Republican Patriotic Rally |
| Percentage19: | 1.50 |
| Seats19: | 2 |
| Last Election19: | 2 |
| Party20: | Union of Democratic and Social Forces |
| Percentage20: | 1.50 |
| Seats20: | 3 |
| Last Election20: | 0 |
| Party21: | National Party for Solidarity and Development |
| Percentage21: | 1.50 |
| Seats21: | 4 |
| Last Election21: | 2 |
| Party22: | Party of Algerian Renewal |
| Percentage22: | 1.46 |
| Seats22: | 1 |
| Last Election22: | 4 |
| Party23: | National Republican Alliance |
| Percentage23: | 1.43 |
| Seats23: | 3 |
| Last Election23: | 4 |
| Party24: | National Front of Independents for Understanding |
| Percentage24: | 1.41 |
| Seats24: | 1 |
| Last Election24: | 3 |
| Party25: | Party of Youth |
| Percentage25: | 1.34 |
| Seats25: | 2 |
| Last Election25: | 0 |
| Party26: | National Democratic Front (Algeria) |
| Percentage26: | 1.33 |
| Seats26: | 1 |
| Last Election26: | 1 |
| Percentage27: | 0.64 |
| Seats27: | 2 |
| Last Election27: | 0 |
| Party28: | Independents |
| Leader28: | – |
| Percentage28: | 8.79 |
| Seats28: | 18 |
| Last Election28: | 33 |
| Prime Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Prime Minister after election |
| Before Election: | Ahmed Ouyahia |
| After Election: | Abdelmalek Sellal |
| Before Party: | National Rally for Democracy (Algeria) |
| After Party: | National Liberation Front (Algeria) |
Parliamentary elections were held in Algeria on 10 May 2012.[1] The incumbent coalition, consisting of the National Liberation Front (FLN) of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the National Rally for Democracy (RND) of Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, held on to power after winning a majority of seats. The Islamist parties of the Green Algeria Alliance lost seats.[2]
See main article: 2010-2012 Algerian protests. Following events in the Arab Spring, Algeria faced initial large scale protests but have since dwindled.
An election in 1991 that resulted in a plurality for the Islamic Salvation Front was annulled by the military amid fears of an Islamist takeover causing the Algerian Civil War.
The Workers' Party (PT) announced its participation on 29 February. Louisa Hanoune has previously clarified that the party had worked with the Socialist Forces Front and would look towards an alliance between the two parties. Louisa Hanoune has become the most popular woman in Algeria after the party came second in the 2009 Algerian presidential election. Hanoune said the party's manifesto would be similar to previous elections, including improved employment opportunities, equal rights for women, the elimination of the Algerian Family Code, making Tamazight the second official language, eliminating laws that condemn people for their religion, sexuality or other discriminatory acts and make Algeria a pioneer in production. She also criticized the creation of new parties that have emerged in January and has asked who funds these new parties.[3]
The National Rally for Democracy has announced its participation in the election. Ahmed Ouyahia is the party's general secretary and the incumbent prime minister. Ouyahia and Hanoune exchanged strong words in the Algerian media. Hanoune complained about his decision of the military record to the voters, showing that as evidence of possible fraud.[4]
The Socialist Forces Front (FFS) has announced its participation on 29 February. Hocine Aït Ahmed wrote to the National Council saying that "participation in these elections is a tactical necessity for the FFS, which falls in line with (its) construction strategy of peaceful democratic alternative to this despotic regime, corrupt and destructive. [The purpose of the party] does not lie in a quota of seats to reach [but] in mobilising political[ly] and peaceful[ly] in our party and our people."The party had boycotted the two previous elections because of what it called systematic electoral fraud in favour of the ruling parties.[5]
So far, the National Liberation Front (FLN) has not made any official publication of who will be their prime ministerial candidate. The FLN is the biggest party in Algeria and includes President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. There are rumours that its candidate representing the FLN will be Khalida Toumi, the incumbent Minister of Culture.[6]
On 8 March, three Algerian Islamist parties (Movement of Society for Peace, Islamic Renaissance Movement and the Movement for National Reform) formed the Green Algeria Alliance. Its secretary general is Bouguerra Soltani. Sultani said that the purpose of this alliance is to consolidate the voter base of the three political parties.[7]
The Socialist Forces Front decided to forgo a decision to boycott the election after international monitors were invited to observe the process. However former Prime Minister Sid Ahmed Ghozali urged a boycott on the grounds that the election would be "a foregone conclusion.[8] Social media was abuzz with many of the country's youth calling for an abstention from voting.
Algeria allowed foreign electoral monitors for the election. The monitors would include the Carter Center, the National Democratic Institute and other NGOs from the European Union and the Arab League.[9] Overall, there were over 500 international observers. The government also called the election the "Algerian Spring" billing it as the freest election in over 20 years.
Almost 22 million are eligible to vote for 44 parties following legalisation of most parties this year. Voter turnout was expected to be low, possibly less than 35% from the last election.[10] Bouteflika called for a high participation. The turnout was 42.36%.[11]
United States: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the election saying that "the high number of women elected [and the election itself is] a welcome step in Algeria's progress toward democratic reform."The new parliament's opening session was boycotted by 49 MPs from the Green Algeria Alliance and 11 MPs from two other parties on the grounds that they claimed the election was fraudulent and "a return to the era of single party rule. We decided to withdraw from the first session of the National Assembly and protest officially against the results of the ballot." Lakhdar Benkhelaf of the Islamist Front for Justice and Development, a part of the Political Front for the Safeguard of Democracy, said the boycott was "a question of principle."[14]