The Algerian presidency said Thursday that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has set June 12 as the date for early legislative elections, after he announced last month the dissolution of the People's National Assembly.
These elections come within the framework of political reforms promised by Tebboune after public protests that forced his predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign in 2019 after spending 20 years in power.
Tebboune promised that the legislative elections would be held "away from money, whether corrupt or not, and open their doors to the youth," with the state guaranteeing to finance "a large part" of the electoral campaign expenses.
The Algerian president - who was elected in December 2019 - pledged to make political and economic changes, in an effort to end the protest movement demanding the departure of the entire ruling elite.
Last month, Tebboune ordered the release of 59 detainees from the protest movement known as the "Popular Movement", in an attempt to stop the protests that erupted on February 22, 2019.
However, protests resumed 3 weeks ago after an interruption due to the general isolation measures imposed by the government to limit the outbreak of the Corona virus in March 2020.
Despite low participation in a referendum held last year, Algerian voters voted in favor of amendments to the constitution that would grant more powers to the prime minister and parliament.
Bouteflika's allies were overwhelmingly in the dissolved parliament, which was elected in May 2017 for a five-year term.
The Algerian constitution provides for elections to be organized 3 months after the parliament is dissolved, but if this is not possible, the date can be extended for another 3 months.
The upcoming elections will witness, for the first time, the adoption of an open list system in selecting candidates, as approved by the election law adopted by President Tebboune.