Editing History of Algeria (section)

== Independent Algeria ==
{{main|History of Algeria (1962-1999)}}

=== Ben Bella presidency (1962–65) ===
The [[1962 Algerian independence referendum|Algerian independence referendum]] was held in [[French Algeria]] on 1 July 1962, passing with 99.72% of the vote. As a result, France declared Algeria independent on 3 July. On 8 September 1963, the first [[Constitution of Algeria|Algerian constitution]] was adopted by [[Algerian constitutional referendum, 1963|nationwide referendum]] under close supervision by the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|National Liberation Front (FLN)]]. Later that month, [[Ahmed Ben Bella]] was formally elected the first [[president of Algeria]] for a five-year term after receiving support from the FLN and the military, led by Colonel [[Houari Boumédiène]].
[[File:Nasser_and_Ben_Bella.jpg|alt=Nasser and Ben Bella|thumb|Ben Bella with [[President of Egypt|Egyptian President]] [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]]]]
However, the [[Algerian War|war for independence]] and its aftermath had severely disrupted Algeria's society and economy. In addition to the destruction of much of Algeria's infrastructure, an exodus of the upper-class French and European [[Pied-Noir|''colons'']] from Algeria deprived the country of most of its managers, civil servants, engineers, teachers, physicians, and skilled workers. The homeless and displaced numbered in the hundreds of thousands, many suffering from illness, and some 70 percent of the workforce was unemployed.<ref>Ruedy, John. ''Modern Algeria: The Origins and Development of a Nation'' (2nd ed. 2005)</ref> The months immediately following independence witnessed the pell-mell rush of Algerians and government officials to claim the property and jobs left behind by the European ''colons''. For example in the 1963 March Decrees, President Ben Bella declared all agricultural, industrial, and commercial properties previously owned and operated by Europeans vacant, thereby legalizing confiscation by the state.

The military played an important role in Ben Bella's administration.  Since the president recognized the role that the military played in bringing him to power, he appointed senior military officers as ministers and other important positions within the new state, including naming Colonel Boumédiène as defence minister.<ref>Willis, M. Politics and Power in the Maghreb : Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring. New York: Oxford University Press.</ref>  These military officials played a core role into implementing the country's security and foreign policy.

Under the new constitution, Ben Bella's presidency combined the functions of [[chief of state]] and [[head of government]] with those of supreme commander of the armed forces. He formed his government without needing legislative approval and was responsible for the definition and direction of its policies. There was no effective institutional check on the president's powers. As a result, opposition leader [[Hocine Aït-Ahmed]] quit the [[People's National Assembly|National Assembly]] in 1963 to protest the increasingly dictatorial tendencies of the regime and formed a clandestine resistance movement, the [[Socialist Forces Front]] (''Front des Forces Socialistes''—FFS), dedicated to overthrowing the Ben Bella regime by force.

Late summer 1963 saw sporadic incidents attributed to the FFS, but more serious fighting broke out a year later, and the army moved quickly and in force to crush a rebellion. Minister of Defense Boumédiène had no qualms about sending the army to put down regional uprisings because he felt they posed a threat to the state. However, President Ben Bella attempted to co-opt allies from among these regional leaders in order to undermine the ability of military commanders to influence foreign and security policy. Tensions consequently built between Boumédiène and Ben Bella, and in 1965 the military removed Ben Bella in a [[1965 Algerian coup d'état|coup d'état]], replacing him with Boumédiène as head of state.

=== The 1965 coup and the Boumédienne military regime ===
[[File:Algerian Economy 1972.ogv|thumb|Newsreel film about the Algerian economy in 1972]]
{{main|1965 Algerian coup d'état}}

On 19 June 1965, [[Houari Boumédiène]] deposed Ahmed Ben Bella in a military [[coup d'état]] that was both swift and bloodless. Ben Bella "[[forced disappearance|disappeared]]", and would not be seen again until he was released from house arrest in 1980 by Boumédiène's successor, Colonel [[Chadli Bendjedid]]. Boumédiène immediately dissolved the [[People's National Assembly|National Assembly]] and suspended the 1963 constitution. Political power resided in the Nation Council of the Algerian Revolution (''Conseil National de la Révolution Algérienne''—CNRA), a predominantly military body intended to foster cooperation among various factions in the army and the party.

Houari Boumédiène's position as head of government and of state was initially insecure, partly because of his lack of a significant power base outside of the armed forces. He relied strongly on a network of former associates known as the [[Oujda group]], named after Boumédiène's posting as [[National Liberation Army (Algeria)|National Liberation Army]] (''Armée de Libération Nationale''—ALN) leader in the [[Morocco|Moroccan]] border town of [[Oujda]] during the war years, but he could not fully dominate his fractious regime. This situation may have accounted for his deference to collegial rule.

Over Boumédiène's 11-year reign as Chairman of the CNRA, the council introduced two formal mechanisms: the [[People's Municipal Assembly]] (''Assemblée Populaires Communales'') and the [[People's Provincial Assembly]] (''Assemblée Populaires de Wilaya'') for popular participation in politics. Under Boumédiène's rule, leftist and socialist concepts were merged with [[Islam]].

Boumédiène also used Islam to opportunistically consolidate his power.<ref>Willis, M. (1996). The Islamist Challenge in Algeria: A Political history. Reading, UK: Ithaca Press</ref>  On one hand, he made token concessions and cosmetic changes to the government to appear more Islamic, such as putting Islamist [[Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi]] in charge of national education in 1965 and adopting policies criminalizing gambling, establishing Friday as the national holiday, and dropping plans to introduce birth control to paint an Islamic image of the new government.  But on the other hand, Boumédiène's government also progressively repressed Islamic groups, such as by ordering the dissolution of Al Qiyam.
[[File:Nasser,_Aref,_Boumieddin,_Atassi,_Azhari.jpg|alt=Nasser, Aref, Boumieddin, Atassi, Azhari|thumb|Arab heads of state in [[Cairo]] to discuss previous talks with [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] leaders. From left to right: [[Abdul Rahman Arif|Abd al-Rahman Arif]] of Iraq, [[Houari Boumédiène|Houari Boumediene]] of Algeria, [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] of Egypt, [[Nureddin al-Atassi|Nurredin al-Atassi]] of Syria and [[Ismail al-Azhari]] of Sudan]]
Following attempted coups—most notably that of chief-of-staff Col. [[:fr:Tahar Zbiri|Tahar Zbiri]] in December 1967—and a failed [[assassination]] attempt on 25 April 1968, Boumédiène consolidated power and forced military and political factions to submit. He took a systematic, authoritarian approach to state building, arguing that Algeria needed stability and an economic base before building any political institutions.

Eleven years after Boumédiène took power, after much public debate, a long-promised new constitution was promulgated in November 1976. The constitution restored the National Assembly and gave it legislative, consent, and oversight functions.<ref>Cook, S.A. 
 (2007).  Ruling but not Governing:  The military and Political Development in  Egypt, Algeria and Turkey.  Baltimore:  Johns Hopkins University Press</ref>  Boumédiène was later elected president with 95 percent of the cast votes.

=== Bendjedid rule (1978–92), the 1992 Coup d'État and the rise of the civil war ===
Boumédiène's death on 27 December 1978 set off a struggle within the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] to choose a successor. A deadlock occurred between two candidates was broken when Colonel [[Chadli Bendjedid]], a moderate who had collaborated with Boumédiène in deposing [[Ahmed Ben Bella]], was sworn in on February 9, 1979. He was re-elected in 1984 and 1988. After the violent [[1988 October Riots]], a new constitution was adopted in 1989 that eradicated the Algerian one-party state by allowing the formation of political associations in addition to the FLN. It also removed the [[armed forces]], which had run the government since the days of Boumédiène, from a role in the operation of the government.

Among the scores of parties that sprang up under the new constitution, the militant [[Islamic Salvation Front]] (''Front Islamique du Salut''—FIS) was the most successful, winning a majority of votes in the June 1990 municipal elections, as well as the first stage of the December national legislative elections.

The surprising first round of success for the fundamentalist FIS party in the December 1991 balloting caused the army to discuss options to intervene in the election. Officers feared that an Islamist government would interfere with their positions and core interests in economic, national security, and foreign policy, since the FIS has promised to make a fundamental re-haul of the social, political, and economic structure to achieve a radical Islamist agenda.  Senior military figures, such as Defence Minister [[Khaled Nezzar]], Chief of the General Staff [[Abdelmalek Guenaizia]], and other leaders of the [[Algerian National Navy|navy]], [[Gendarmerie Nationale (Algeria)|Gendarmerie]], and security services, all agreed that the FIS should be stopped from gaining power at the polling box. They also agreed that Bendjedid would need to be removed from office due to his determination to uphold the country's new constitution by continuing with the second round of ballots.<ref name="Willis, M. 1996">Willis, M.  (1996).  The Islamist Challenge in Algeria: A Political history.  Reading, UK: Ithaca Press</ref>

On 11 January 1992, Bendjedid announced his resignation on national television, saying it was necessary to "protect the unity of the people and the security of the country".<ref>{{cite web| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/d1gxczJxUrE| archive-date = 2021-12-05| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1gxczJxUrE| title = Discours de démission de feu Chadli Benjadid | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 6 May 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>  Later that same day, the [[High Council of State (Algeria)|High Council of State]] (''Haut Comité d'Etat''—HCE), which was composed of five people (including Khaled Nezzar, [[:fr:Tedjini Haddam|Tedjini Haddam]], [[Ali Kafi]], [[Mohamed Boudiaf]] and [[Ali Haroun]]), was appointed to carry out the duties of the president.

The new government, led by [[Sid Ahmed Ghozali]], banned all political activity at mosques and began stopping people from attending prayers at popular mosques.  The FIS was legally dissolved by Interior Minister [[Larbi Belkheir]] on 9 February for attempting "insurrections against the state".<ref name="Willis, M. 1996"/>  A state of emergency was also declared and extraordinary powers, such as curtailing the right to associate, were granted to the regime.

Between January and March, a growing number of FIS militants were arrested by the military, including [[Abdelkader Hachani]]  and his successors, [[Othman Aissani]] and [[Rabah Kebir]].<ref name="Willis, M. 1996"/>  Following the announcement to dissolve the FIS and implement a state of emergency on 9 February, the Algerian security forces used their new emergency powers to conduct large scale arrests of FIS members and housed them in 5 "detention centers" in the Sahara.  Between 5,000 (official number) and 30,000 (FIS number) people were detained.<ref name="Willis, M. 1996"/>

This crackdown led to a fundamental Islamic insurgency, resulting in the continuous and brutal 10 year-long [[Algerian Civil War]]. During the civil war, the secular state apparatus nonetheless allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties. The civil war lasted from 1991 to 2002.

=== Civil War and Bouteflika (1992–2019) ===

After [[Chadli Bendjedid]] resigned from the presidency in the military coup of 1992, a series of figureheads were selected by the military to assume the presidency, as officers were reluctant to assume public political power even though they had manifested control over the government.  Additionally, the military's senior leaders felt a need to give a civilian face to the new political regime they had hastily constructed in the aftermath of Benjedid's ousting and the termination of elections, preferring a friendlier non-military face to front the regime.<ref name="Willis, M. 2014">Willis, M. (2014).  Politics and Power in the Maghreb : Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring.  New York: Oxford University Press</ref>

The first such head of state was [[Mohamed Boudiaf]], who was appointed president of the [[High Council of State (Algeria)|High Council of State]] (HCE) in February 1992 after a 27-year exile in Morocco.  However, Boudiaf quickly came to odds with the military when attempts by Boudiaf to appoint his own staff or form a political party were viewed with suspicion by officers.  Boudiaf also launched political initiatives, such as a rigorous anti-corruption campaign in April 1992 and the sacking of [[Khaled Nezzar]] from his post as Defence Minister, which were seen by the military as an attempt to remove their influence in the government. The former of these initiatives was especially hazardous to the many senior military officials who had benefited massively and illegally from the political system for years.<ref name="Willis, M. 2014"/>  In the end, Boudiaf was assassinated in June 1992 by one of his bodyguards with Islamist sympathies.

[[Ali Kafi]] briefly assumed the HCE presidency after Boudiaf's death, before [[Liamine Zéroual]] was appointed as a long-term replacement in 1994. However, Zéroual only remained in office for four years before he announced his retirement, as he quickly became embroiled in a clan warfare within the upper classes of the military and fell out with groups of the more senior generals.<ref name="Willis, M. 2014"/>  After this [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]], Boumédiène's foreign minister, succeeded as the president.

As the [[Algerian civil war]] wound to a close, presidential elections were held again in April 1999. Although seven candidates qualified for election, all but [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]], who had the support of the military as well as the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|National Liberation Front]] (FLN), withdrew on the eve of the election amid charges of electoral fraud and interference from the military. Bouteflika went on to win with 70 percent of the cast votes.

Despite the purportedly democratic elections, the civilian government immediately after the 1999 elections only acted as a sort of 'hijab' over the true government, mostly running day-to-day businesses, while the military still largely ran the country behind the scenes. For example, ministerial mandates to individuals were only granted with the military's approval, and different factions of the military invested in various political parties and the press, using them as pawns to gain influence.<ref name="Willis, M. 2014"/>

However, the military's influence over politics decreased gradually, leaving Bouteflika with more authority on deciding policy.  One reason for this was that the senior commanders who had dominated the political scene during the 1960s and 1970s started to retire.  Bouteflika's former experience as Boumédiène's foreign minister earned him connections that rejuvenated Algeria's international reputation, which had been tarnished in the early 1990s due to the civil war.  On the domestic front, Bouteflika's policy of "national reconciliation" to bring a close to civilian violence earned him a popular mandate that helped him to win further presidential terms in 2004, 2009 and 2014.<ref>Willis, M.  ''Politics and Power in the Maghreb : Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring''.  New York: Oxford University Press</ref>

In 2010, journalists gathered to demonstrate for press freedom and against Bouteflika's self-appointed role as editor-in-chief of Algeria's state television station.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/05/03/algeria-stop-suppressing-protests|title=Algeria: Stop Suppressing Protests|date=3 May 2010|work=Human Rights Watch|access-date=25 June 2017|language=en}}</ref> In February 2011, the government rescinded the state of emergency that had been in place since 1992 but still banned all protest gatherings and demonstrations. However, [[2010–12 Algerian protests|in April 2011]], over 2,000 protesters defied the official ban and took to the streets of Algiers, clashing with police forces. These protests can be seen as a part of the [[Arab Spring]], with protesters noting that they were inspired by the recent [[Egyptian revolution of 2011|Egyptian revolution]], and that Algeria was a [[police state]] that was "corrupt to the bone".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/02/201121235130627461.html|title=Algeria protesters push for change|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=25 June 2017}}</ref>

In 2019, after 20 years in office, Bouteflika announced in February that he would seek a fifth term of office. This sparked widespread discontent around Algeria and [[2019–20 Algerian protests|protests in Algiers]]. Despite later attempts at saying he would resign after his term finished in late April, Bouteflika resigned on 2 April, after the chief of the army, [[Ahmed Gaid Salah]], made a declaration that he was "unfit for office".<ref>Adam Nossiter (2 April 2019). "Algerian Leader Bouteflika Resigns Under Pressure From Army". ''New York Times''. Retrieved 21 April 2019.</ref> Despite Gaid Salah being loyal to Bouteflika, many in the military identified with civilians, as nearly 70 percent of the army are civilian conscripts who are required to serve for 18 months.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/05/why-algerias-army-abandoned-bouteflika/| title = Why Algeria's army abandoned Bouteflika - The Washington Post| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Also, since demonstrators demanded a change to the whole governmental system, many army officers aligned themselves with demonstrators in the hopes of surviving an anticipated revolution and retaining their positions.

===After Bouteflika (2019-)===
After the resignation of [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]] on 9 April 2019, the [[List of Presidents of the Council of the Nation (Algeria)|President]] of the [[Council of the Nation]] [[Abdelkader Bensalah]] became acting president of Algeria.<ref>{{cite news |title=Abdelaziz Bouteflika: Algerian leader resigns amid protests |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47795108 |work=BBC News |date=3 April 2019}}</ref>

Following [[2019 Algerian presidential election|the presidential election on 12 December 2019]], [[Abdelmadjid Tebboune]] was elected president after taking 58% of the votes, beating the candidates from both main parties, the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|National Liberation Front]]  and the [[Democratic National Rally]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Algeria: Who is new president Abdelmadjid Tebboune? |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/21301/algeria-who-is-new-president-abdelmadjid-tebboune/ |work=The Africa Report.com |date=17 December 2019}}</ref>

On the eve of the first anniversary of the [[2019–20 Algerian protests|Hirak Movement]], which led to the resignation of former president Bouteflika, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced in a statement to the [[Mass media in Algeria|Algerian national media]] that 22 February would be declared the Algerian "National Day of Fraternity and Cohesion between the People and Its Army for Democracy."<ref name="APS-2020">{{cite web|url=http://www.aps.dz/algerie/101975-le-president-de-la-republique-assure-que-le-hirak-est-un-phenomene-salutaire-et-met-en-garde-contre-toute-tentative-d-infiltration|title=Le Président Tebboune assure que le Hirak est un phénomène salutaire et met en garde contre toute tentative d'infiltration|date=20 February 2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref> In the same statement, Tebboune spoke in favor of the Hirak Movement, saying that "the blessed Hirak has preserved the country from a total collapse", and that he had "made a personal commitment to carry out all of the [movement's] demands."<ref name="APS-2020" /> On 21 and 22 February 2020, masses of demonstrators (with turnout comparable to well-established Algerian holidays like the [[Independence Day (Algeria)|Algerian Day of Independence]]) gathered to honor the anniversary of the Hirak Movement and the newly established national day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elwatan.com/a-la-une/grande-mobilisation-du-hirak-pour-son-premier-anniversaire-plus-vigoureux-que-jamais-22-02-2020|title=Grande Mobilisation du hirak pour son premier anniversaire : Plus vigoureux que jamais !|date=22 February 2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French|last1=Aichoun|first1=Abdelghani|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726111346/https://www.elwatan.com/a-la-une/grande-mobilisation-du-hirak-pour-son-premier-anniversaire-plus-vigoureux-que-jamais-22-02-2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tsa-algerie.com/anniversaire-du-hirak-des-milliers-de-personnes-empechees-de-marcher-sur-el-mouradia/|title=Anniversaire du Hirak : des milliers de personnes empêchées de marcher sur El Mouradia|date=22 February 2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French|last1=Hamadi|first1=Ryar}}</ref>

In an effort to contain the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Tebboune announced on 17 March 2020 that "marches and rallies, whatever their motives" would be prohibited.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Makedhi|first1=Madjid|date=18 March 2020|title=Abdelmadjid Tebboune assure que l'état a pris ses dispositions pour lutter contre le coronavirus : "Des moyens supplémentaires seront engagés"|url=https://www.elwatan.com/a-la-une/abdelmadjid-tebboune-assure-que-letat-a-pris-ses-dispositions-pour-lutter-contre-le-coronavirus-des-moyens-supplementaires-seront-engages-18-03-2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726112122/https://www.elwatan.com/a-la-une/abdelmadjid-tebboune-assure-que-letat-a-pris-ses-dispositions-pour-lutter-contre-le-coronavirus-des-moyens-supplementaires-seront-engages-18-03-2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> But after protesters and journalists were arrested for participating in such marches, Tebboune faced accusations of attempting to "silence Algerians."<ref>{{cite web|date=2 May 2020|title=La liberté de la presse se dégrade en Algérie|url=https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/la-liberte-de-la-presse-se-degrade-en-algerie-02-05-2020-2373844_24.php#|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref> Notably, the government's actions were condemned by [[Amnesty International]], which said in a statement that "when all eyes [...] are on the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria|management of the COVID-19 pandemic]], the Algerian authorities are devoting time to speeding up the prosecution and trial of activists, journalists, and supporters of the Hirak movement."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Defend the right to protest in Algeria|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/defend-the-right-to-protest-in-algeria/|access-date=17 October 2020|website=amnesty.org|language=en}}</ref> The [[National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees]] (''Comité national pour la libération des détenus''—CNLD) estimated that around 70 prisoners of conscience were imprisoned by 2 July 2020 and that several of the imprisoned were arrested for [[Facebook]] posts.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2 July 2020|title=En Algérie, la justice libère Karim Tabbou, Amira Bouraoui, Samir Benlarbi et Slimane Hamitouche, figures de la contestation|website=[[Le Monde]]|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2020/07/02/en-algerie-la-justice-decide-de-liberer-karim-tabbou-figure-du-hirak_6044959_3212.html|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref>

On 28 December 2019, the then-recently inaugurated President Tebboune met with [[Ahmed Benbitour]], the former [[Prime Minister of Algeria|Algerian Head of Government]], with whom he discussed the "foundations of the new Republic."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tsa-algerie.com/tebboune-nomme-mohand-oussaid-belaid-porte-parole-de-la-presidence-et-recoit-benbitour/|title=Tebboune nomme Mohand Oussaïd Belaïd porte-parole de la présidence et reçoit Benbitour|date=29 December 2019|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref> On 8 January 2020, Tebboune established a "commission of experts" composed of 17 members (a majority of which were professors of [[constitutional law]]) responsible for examining the previous constitution and making any necessary revisions.<ref name="Algerie-2020">{{cite web|date=9 January 2020|title=Algérie: le président Tebboune nomme une commission pour réviser la Constitution|url=http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20200109-algerie-composition-comission-revision-constitution|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref> Led by Ahmed Laraba, the commission was required to submit its proposals to Tebboune directly within the following two months.<ref name="Algerie-2020" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=8 January 2020|title=Révision de la Constitution : Tebboune nomme un comité d'experts|url=https://www.tsa-algerie.com/revision-de-la-constitution-tebboune-nomme-un-comite-dexperts/|access-date=16 October 2020|website=TSA|language=fr}}</ref> In a letter to Laraba on the same day, Tebboune outlined seven axes around which the commission should focus its discussion.<ref name="TSA-2020a">{{Cite web|date=8 January 2020|title=Révision de la Constitution : Tebboune trace sept axes principaux|url=https://www.tsa-algerie.com/revision-de-la-constitution-tebboune-trace-sept-axes-principaux/|access-date=16 October 2020|website=TSA|language=fr}}</ref> These areas of focus included strengthening citizens' rights, combating [[Political corruption|corruption]], consolidating the [[Separation of powers|balance of powers]] in the Algerian government, increasing the [[Separation of powers|oversight powers]] of [[Parliament of Algeria|parliament]], promoting the independence of the [[Judiciary of Algeria|judiciary]], furthering citizens' equality under the law, and constitutionalizing [[Elections in Algeria|elections]].<ref name="TSA-2020a" /> Tebboune's letter also included a call for an "immutable and intangible" two-term limit to anyone serving as president — a major point of contention in the initial Hirak Movement protests, which were spurred by former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's announcement to run for a fifth term.<ref name="TSA-2020a" />

The preliminary draft revision of the constitution was publicly published on 7 May 2020, but the Laraba Commission (as the "commission of experts" came to be known) was open to additional proposals from the public until 20 June.<ref name="TSA-2020b">{{cite web|date=3 June 2020|title=Révision de la constitution : la nature du régime et l'identité " non concernées par les amendements "|url=https://www.tsa-algerie.com/revision-de-la-constitution-la-nature-du-regime-et-lidentite-non-concernees-par-les-amendements/|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref> By 3 June, the commission had received an estimated 1,200 additional public proposals.<ref name="TSA-2020b" /> After all revisions were considered by the Laraba Commission, the draft was introduced to the [[Cabinet of Algeria]] (Council of Ministers).<ref name="TSA-2020b" />

The revised constitution was adopted in the [[Cabinet of Algeria|Council of Ministers]] on 6 September,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.observalgerie.com/revision-de-la-constitution-algerienne-voici-les-principaux-axes/2020/|title=Révision de la Constitution algérienne : Voici les principaux axes|date=7 September 2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French|last1=Oul|first1=Ahmed|archive-date=2 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002000709/https://www.observalgerie.com/revision-de-la-constitution-algerienne-voici-les-principaux-axes/2020/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the [[People's National Assembly]] on 10 September, and in the [[Council of the Nation]] on 12 September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.algerie-eco.com/2020/09/10/apn-le-projet-de-la-revision-constitutionnelle-adopte-a-la-majorite/|title=APN : Le projet de la révision constitutionnelle adopté à la majorité|date=10 September 2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French|last1=Litamine|first1=Khelifa}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inter-lignes.com/conseil-de-la-nation-adoption-du-texte-de-loi-relatif-a-la-revision-de-la-constitution/|title=Conseil de la Nation: adoption du texte de loi relatif à la révision de la Constitution|date=12 September 2020|accessdate=22 September 2020|language=French}}</ref> The constitutional changes were approved in the [[2020 Algerian constitutional referendum|1 November 2020 referendum]], with 66.68% of voters participating in favour of the changes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Algerians approve new constitution after referendum |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/13/algerias-new-constitution-approved-official-results-show |work=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref>

On 16 February 2021, [[2021 Algerian protests|mass protests]] and a wave of nationwide rallies and peaceful demonstrations against the government of Abdelmadjid Tebboune began.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thousands rally in Algeria on protest movement anniversary |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/16/algeria-huge-rally-to-commemorate-protest-movement-anniversary |work=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> In May 2021, Algeria prohibited any protests that do not have prior approval by authorities.<ref>{{cite news |title=Algeria to impose restrictions on street protests |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/algeria-impose-restrictions-street-protests-2021-05-09/ |work=Reuters |date=9 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In September 2024, President Tebboune [[2024 Algerian presidential election|won]] a second term with a landslide 84.3 percent of the vote, although his opponents  called the results fraud.<ref>{{cite news |title=Algeria court certifies President Tebboune's landslide re-election win |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/14/algeria-court-certifies-president-tebbounes-landslide-re-election-win |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>