Algeria : President Dissolves Parliament

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has announced the dissolution of the lower house of Parliament and called for early legislative elections. During a nationwide address on Thursday, February 18, 2021 the President also promised to reshuffle the Government and issue pardon to dozens of jailed activists of the "Hirak" protest movement. 
Tebboune said the decision to disband the lower house, whose majority backed the former President, was part of reforms included in amendments to the constitution last November aimed at giving Parliament more powers. This comes according to VOA, after political consultations between the President and opposition parties.
Though President Tebboune didn’t set a date for new Parliamentary elections, he encouraged young people to run for office and promised to cover their campaign costs, without elaborating. A new Parliament and a greater voice for young people were among demands of the “Hirak” protest movement, which is marking its second anniversary. 
The current Parliament was elected in May 2017 for a five-year term and have little more than a year left. The said elections were marred by accusations of mass fraud by majority parties FLN and RND, who supported former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The former FLN chief, Djamel Ould Abbas, is currently in prison for illegal campaign financing. New electoral rules ordered by Tebboune would aimed at limiting electoral fraud, change voting methods and require an equal number of women and men candidates in citi...