Algerian parties participating in upcoming local elections face difficulties replacing candidates whose files were rejected by election authorities, particularly in remote municipalities with limited nominations. This has created a problem for parties to find suitable replacements that meet legal requirements, including representation of youth under 40 years old. The final participation figures for some parties have not been finalized.
Despite the deadline for submitting nominations having passed, some political parties are still working to complete files with administrative shortcomings, particularly those related to citizenship certificates. Some courts worked over the weekend to enable candidates to obtain these documents and complete their files. Election authorities granted an additional opportunity to rectify shortcomings, prompting parties to delay announcing their final participation figures.
Abdel Mounim Ben Hamda, a leader in the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), stated that his party held a meeting to review its participation in the local elections but is still waiting for outstanding files to be completed before presenting final numbers. Meanwhile, Saïd Nefissi, deputy head of the National Building Movement (MBN), said that his party's final participation figures have not been determined.
Nefissi explained that the main issue is finding alternatives and replacing candidates whose files were rejected. He noted that replacing candidates is particularly challenging when it comes to youth under 40 due to limited nominations in some municipalities, especially in remote areas. This makes it more complicated to replace rejected names while maintaining the legal composition of electoral lists.
Parties that struggled to attract candidates during the nomination phase now face an additional challenge with the start of the replacement process. The process is no longer limited to completing lists and submitting files but has extended to searching for alternatives that meet the same legal requirements as rejected candidates.
The first responses to submitted candidate files have started to arrive, with some names being rejected due to reasons such as failure to meet electoral requirements outlined in Article 184 of the Organic Law on the Electoral System. Other reasons include suspected links to illicit funds and unsettled national service obligations.
Rejected files also included administrative shortcomings, such as incomplete documents, missing data, or discrepancies between information on nomination forms and official documents. Parties must review and rectify these files according to established procedures to ensure their candidates' eligibility.
Key points
- Algerian parties face challenges in replacing local election candidates whose files were rejected by election authorities.
- The main issue is finding suitable replacements that meet legal requirements, particularly representation of youth under 40 years old.
- Rejected files included administrative shortcomings and failure to meet electoral requirements.
