Understanding the Marginal Role of the Election Management Body (EMB) in Algeria’s 2014 General Election
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/0256-8845/3275Keywords:
Algeria, the FLN, F.I.S, electoral management body and democracyAbstract
The ideological struggle between the West and former liberation movements on the veracity of the post-cold war multiparty democracy is still alive. In Algeria, the ruling Front for the Liberation of Algeria (FLN) continues to view with suspicion this notion, convinced it’s a neo-colonial ploy to remove them from power. It is against this intensely contested background that Electoral Management Bodies (EMB) have emerged and trying to find a role. In the Algerian April 2014 Election, the ruling party was confronted by the surging popularity of the Islamic Salvation Front (F.I.S). In that election, the EMB played a marginal, if not overtly partisan role, in spite of the 2012 recommendations by the European Union to undertake reforms. In this case study, it is clear that establishing and consolidating EMBs on the African continent as part of democratisation is still very much work in progress.
References
Algeria Country Report. 2014. Bertelsmann Stiftung (BTI) Gütersloh, Germany, at http://www. bti-proj-org The report covers the period from 31 January 2011 to 31 January 2013. The BTI assesses the transformation towards democracy and a market economy as well as the quality of political management in 129 countries.
Algerian Civil War, Military Wikia. Available at http://military.wikia.com/wiki/Algerian_Civil_ War (accessed 30 March 2015).
Azzedine, L. 2009. Political liberalization & party radicalization in Algeria: The case of the Islamic Front of Salvation, Political Party Systems in Africa Project: Occasional Paper No. 21. South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA).
Beardsley, E. 2011. Algeria: ‘Black Decade’ still weights heavily, the Norwegian Peace Research Institute. Available at www.npr.org/ (accessed 10 November 2014).
Dryzek J.S. 2000. Deliberative democracy & beyond: liberals, critics & contestations. Oxford Press: United Kingdom.
Electoral Systems, ace project. Available at http://aceproject.org (accessed 30 March 2015).
Forrester, A. 2002. New civil-military relations & its research agendas. Connections Vol.1 (2) 2002, 71–88. Available at www.dro.dur.ac.uk.4151 (accessed 12 July 2014). DOI: https://doi.org/10.11610/Connections.01.2.06
George, K.K. Jr. and Ogaba A.P. 2004. The military and politics in Africa: from engagement to democratic and Constitutional control. Ashgate: USA.
Harkness, K. A. 2012. The origins of African civil military relations: ethnic armies & the development of coup traps. Unpublished Dissertation: University of Princeton.
Kang, M.S.K. 2011. Race & democratic contestation. Yale Law Journal Vol.117, 734–801 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/20455811
Lahcen, A. 2013. The price of stability in Algeria. Carnegie Papers
Maghreb Islamist’s Obart 2013. African Armed Forces Journal, 31–33. Available at www.aafj.
co.za (accessed 12 July 2014).
Markey, P. and Chikhi, L. 2014. Algeria’s Bouteflika wins re-election with 81.53%: Official Results. Reuters Correspondents.
Milja, K. 2010. Democracy & conceptual contestability: reconsidering conceptions of democracy in democracy promotion. International Studies Review Vol. 12 (3): 362–386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2486.2010.00943.x
Naylor, C.P. 2006. History dictionary of Algeria. Scarecrow Press: USA.
Neve R. 2012. The limits of contestation: towards a radical democratic theory of emergency politics. Unpublished PhD Thesis: University of Westminster: UK.
Pita, O.A. 2000. The politics of stable civil military relations. Available at http://www.indiaseminar. com/2000/490/490%20agbese.htm (accessed 12 July 2014).
Pita, O.A. 2004. Soldiers as rulers: Military performance. In The military and politics in Africa: from engagement to democratic and constitutional control. ed. George Klay Kieh Jr & Pita Ogaba Agbese, 57-98. Ashgate: USA.
Quali, A. 2014. Algerian election set: But where are the candidates? The Daily Star, 18 January. LoÌpez-Pintor, R. 2000. Electoral management bodies as institutions of governance. Bureau for Developing Policy. UNDP: New York.
Schulhofer-Wohl, J. 2007. Algeria 1992 to Present. In Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War I I, ed. Karl DeRouen and Uk Heo.
Schemm P. 2014. Opposition cries fraud in Algerian election. Agence France Press (AFP).
Schulhofer-Wohl, J. and Sambanis, N. 2007. The Civil War in Algeria, 1992 to Present. In Civil Wars of the World: Major Conflicts since World War II, ed. Karl DeRouen & Uk Heo Santa-Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 103—124. Available at www.faculty.virginia.edu/j.sw/uploads/ research/Schulhofer-Wohl20%Algeria.pdf (accessed 10 March 2015).
Smith-Spark, L. and Sterling, J. 2013. Bloody Algerian hostage crisis ends after ‘final’ assault – Official Say. Available at www. edition.cnn.com/2013/01/19/world/africa/algeria-hostagecrisis/ index.html (accessed 12 July 2014).
The African Union at Ten: Problems, Progress and Prospects. 2012. Centre for Conflict Resolution: Berlin, Germany Seminar.
Youssef, I.M. 1990. Islamic Party in Algeria defeats ruling group in local elections. The New York Times, 14 June.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
