The Council of Nation

The Council of Nation is the second Chamber of the Algerian Parliament House. Established for the first time by the Constitution of November 28th 1996 (Art.98), the Council of Nation consists of 144 members of which 2/3 or 96 members are elected by universal suffrage among and by the Local Assemblies elected ("Assemblées Populaires Communales et de Wilaya") at each "Wilaya" (region), and the third remainder, or 48 members designated by the President of the Republic. The term of the mandate of the Council of Nation is six years; half in every three years makes the renewal, however.

The Council of Nation performs with the National People's Assembly (APN), the legislative power. In this regard, the National Council votes the laws with the majority of the ¾ of its members (Art. 120). It can only be ceased for texts already adopted by the APN and for which it does not posses any power of amendment. In the event of a disagreement between the APN and the Council of Nation, an ad-hoc equally represented commission is set up with a mandate of proposing a revised text, which is submitted for the consent of both houses without possible amendment.

President : Mr. Abdelkader Bensalah