Algeria / Algerie / Dzayer

Political Parties / Partis politiques

Socialist Forces Front (FFS)

The FFS, a secular and pro-democratic party, was created in 1963 in opposition to then President Ahmed Ben Bella's one-party rule. It draws its main support from the northeastern areas dominated by Amazighs and middle-class urban residents in Algiers and some other cities. It is lead by Hocine Ait Ahmed. In the first multi-party parliamentary elections of June 1997, it won 19 seats and 0.4 million votes.

Rally for Democracy and Culture (RCD)

Won: 19 seats, 0.4 million votes

The fiercely secular RCD was founded in 1989 by former FFS members. Until April 2001, due to the murders of demonstrations and innocent bystanders in Kabylia by the government's gendarmes, the RCD was part of the Algerian government, staunchly backing the military. Since the recent events, however, the party has joined in condeming the actions of the regime. It is headed by Said Saadi.

The web site of RCD : http://www.rcd-algerie.org

Workers' Party (PT)

The PT is headed by feminist militant Louisa Hanoune (who prefers to be called its Chairperson). The party is pro-democratic and Troskyist. It was involved, along with the FFS, the reformed FLN (National Liberation Front), and the islamist parties, the FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) and Ennahda, in the signing of the Sant' Egidio platform in Rome, which proposed a dialogue among all the factions of Algerian politics in order to put an end to the civil war in that country.