View source for Constitution of Algeria

{{Short description|Supreme law of Algeria}}
{{Infobox constitution
| document_name        = Constitution of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
| image                = Emblem of Algeria.svg
| image_size           = 150px
| caption              = [[Emblem of Algeria]]
| title_orig = {{lang|ur| ِآئین پاکستان}} (Aiin-e-Pākistān)
| jurisdiction         = {{flag|Algeria}}
| date_created         = 
| date_presented       = 
| date_ratified        = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1963|9|10}}
| date_effective       = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1963|9|10}}
| system               = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[semi-presidential republic]]
| branches             = Three (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary)
| head_of_state        = [[President of Algeria]]
| chambers             = Bicameral ([[Council of the Nation]] and [[People's National Assembly]])
| executive            = [[Prime Minister of Algeria|Prime minister]]–led [[Cabinet of Algeria|cabinet]] responsible to the [[People's National Assembly|lower house]] of the [[Parliament of Algeria|parliament]]
| courts               = [[Supreme Court of Algeria|Supreme Court]]
| number_amendments    = 
| date_last_amended    = 7 February 2016
| location_of_document = 
| commissioned         = 
| writer               = [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|National Liberation Front]]
| signers= 
| purpose= 
| media_type           = 
}}
{{Politics of Algeria}}
{{update|date=January 2011}}
An '''Algerian Constitution''' was first adopted by a [[Algerian constitutional referendum, 1963|referendum]] in 1963, following the [[Algerian War of Independence]] (1954–62); originally, it was to be drafted by a constitutional assembly led by [[Ferhat Abbas]], but this body was sidelined by Algeria's first [[President of Algeria|President]], [[Ahmed Ben Bella]]. In its 1963 form, the constitution declared Algeria a [[one-party state]] ruled by the former resistance movement, the [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|National Liberation Front]] (FLN). This constitution was suspended by the military [[coup d'état]] of 1965. After years of ruling by executive fiat as leader of the [[Revolutionary Council (Algeria)|Revolutionary Council]], [[Houari Boumédienne]] issued a second constitution in 1976, emphasizing the importance of [[socialism]] and - formally - restoring political institutions to their primacy over the military establishment. (Boumédienne was then elected the country's second president, after having left the post vacant for eleven years.)

In 1986, Boumedienne's successor [[Chadli Bendjedid]] modified the constitution to allow for [[free-market]] reforms, and, after the [[1988 October Riots]], brought in a new constitution in 1988. This was approved in a [[Algerian constitutional referendum, 1989|referendum]] by 73% on 23 February 1989. It introduced a multi-party system, removing the FLN from its role as leading party, and made no mention of [[socialism]]; instead it promised "[[freedom of expression]], [[freedom of association|association]], and [[freedom of assembly|assembly]]". A 1992 military coup introduced a [[state of emergency]], which suspended parts of the new constitution, as the [[Algerian Civil War]] began.

In 1996, the constitution was further modified, allowing the formation of political parties not "founded on a religious, linguistic, racial, sex, corporatist or regional basis" or violating "the fundamental liberties, the fundamental values and components of the national identity, the national unity, the security and integrity of the national territory, the independence of the country and the People's sovereignty as well as the democratic and republican nature of the State."

A further proposed revision, believed to be intended to remove the presidential term limit (Article 74) to allow the President to run for office indefinitely often, was discussed during 2006 by [[Prime Minister of Algeria|Prime Minister]] [[Abdelaziz Belkhadem]]'s government. This was widely seen to be instigated by President [[Abdelaziz Bouteflika]], who had been elected to his second and, constitutionally, final mandate in 2004. Other changes discussed concerned a move towards a [[presidential system]], introducing the post of [[Vice President]] among other things.

==Modifications to the Constitution==
[[Algerian Constitution of 1996|The 1996 constitution]] was modified in 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.algerianembassy.org.uk/index.php/constitution.html|title=Algerian Constitution of 2008|website=Algerian Embassy, UK|access-date=2015-11-26|archive-date=2016-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126202050/http://www.algerianembassy.org.uk/index.php/constitution.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and amended by [[Algerian Constitution of 2016|2016 Constitution]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joradp.dz/FTP/jo-francais/2016/F2016014.pdf|title=Algerian Constitution of 6 Mar 2016|website=Joradp Algeria}}</ref> Before Algeria the 1996 constitution [[1989 Algerian constitutional referendum|Algeria had a constitution referendum in 1989]].

==See also==
* [[Constitution]]
* [[Constitutional law]]
* [[Constitutional economics]]
* [[Constitutionalism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{wikisourcepar|Constitution of Algeria}}
*{{Cite web |date=May 28, 2006 |title=PM change in Algeria seen as move to facilitate amendment to constitution |url=http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/05/28/10042966.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627101345/http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/05/28/10042966.html |archive-date=Jun 27, 2007 |website=Gulfnews |agency=Reuters}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151217041052/http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.dz/IndexArab.htm Texts of the Algerian Constitution] (Arabic) ({{small|English Translation {{Arrow}} [http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/ag00000_.html link]}})
* {{cite web|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Algeria_2008.pdf?lang=en|title=Algerian constitution in English|website=Constitution Project|access-date=February 3, 2021}}
* {{cite web |title=النصوص التأسيسية للجمهورية الجزائرية |url=https://www.el-mouradia.dz/ar/algeria/texts/previous-constitutions |website=www.el-mouradia.dz}}

{{Constitutions of Africa}}
{{Algeria topics}}

[[Category:Law of Algeria]]
[[Category:Constitutional history|Algeria]]
[[Category:1963 documents]]
[[Category:1976 documents]]
[[Category:Constitutions of Algeria]]