Algeria's former sole political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has made a political comeback, winning an absolute majority in legislative elections marked by a boycott and the lowest turnout in 40 years.
The FLN, which ruled the north African country single-handedly from independence in 1962 until 1991, won 199 seats in the 389-seat national assembly, the Interior Minister, Mr Yazid Zerhouni, said. The result marks the FLN's return to Algeria's political centre stage, with a three-fold increase in its representation in the national assembly.
Its resounding win knocked one of its partners in the outgoing ruling coalition, the National Democratic Rally (RND), out of its predominant position in parliament. The RND, which had 155 seats in the outgoing assembly, garnered less than one-third of its previous score, winning 48 seats. That result indicated a general malaise among voters, less than half of whom bothered to even cast their ballot. Just over 46 per cent of the 18 million eligible Algerians, both resident in the country and overseas, voted, Mr Zerhouni said.
Analysts said that by refusing to vote, Algeria's electorate was marking its rejection of a political system that has mired the country in economic hardship. A decade-long civil war has claimed 150,000 lives. Voters have seen the average national per capita income slashed by half in 10 years, dropping from $3,000 per annum to $1,500.
The FLN's comeback is largely credited to its new leader, the Prime Minister, Mr Ali Benflis (57), who represents the forward-looking wing. He said he wants the party to provide a balance between those prepared to give a political role to Islamic fundamentalists and hardliners, known as "the eradicaters", who sought to destroy the extremists completely.