Number: RS21532
Title: Algeria: Current Issues
Authors: Carol Migdalovitz, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division 
Abstract: The situation in Algeria is fluid. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was reelected in 2004 with some manipulation of the political process but without blatant fraud. The voice of the military, the most significant political force since independence, has been muted. Yet, low voter turnout in the May 2007 parliamentary election indicated lack of public faith in the political system. Domestic terrorism persists and Algerians continue to be linked to terror abroad. The U.S. State Departments lists the two Algerian groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Terrorism provides a rationale for Algeria's uneven human rights record. Oil and gas revenues are growing, but social investment lags. Bouteflika has energized foreign policy and broadened cooperation with the United States.
Pages: 6
Date: July 3, 2008