Algeria votes for new parliament but activists plan boycott

Authorities have tightened the screws on the Hirak protest movement in recent weeks, and police arrested a politician and journalist who are prominent opposition figures in the run-up to the voting.

Algerians vote on Saturday for a new parliament that’s meant to satisfy demands of pro-democracy protesters and turn a new leaf for the troubled, albeit gas-rich, country – but which many activists plan to boycott. Authorities have tightened the screws on the Hirak protest movement in recent weeks, and police arrested a politician and journalist who are prominent opposition figures in the run-up to the voting. The early election is supposed to exemplify President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s “new Algeria,” with an emphasis on young candidates and those outside the political elite.