The National People's Assembly

The first legislative election in Algeria took place on 20th September 1962, or barely a few months after the national independence. The Assembly, elected for a one-year mandate, was entrusted with the main goal of promulgating the fundamental law of the country, which resulted in the adoption of September 10th, 1963 Constitution. The mandate of this National Assembly will be renewed one year in accordance with the article 77. The exercise of full powers, on 3rd October 1963, by the President of the Republic, in accordance with article 59 of the Constitution, led to the freezing of the activities of the National Assembly. From 1965 to 1976, a Council of the Revolution will be established as the depositary of the sovereign authority (Ordonnance of 10th July 1965). On 22nd November 1976, in the framework of the completion of the institutions of the Algerian State, a new Constitution was promulgated. The latter will then establish (Art.126) a sole house called National People's Assembly (APN), in charge of exercising the legislative power, elected on 25th February 1977 for a five-year mandate, and regularly renewed on 1982 and 1987.

The revision of the constitution on 28th February 1989 will not be detracted to unicameral principle, by maintaining the National People's Assembly, even if this revision will devote to a separation of the legislative, executive and judicial powers (Art.92). The renewal of this Assembly, arrived to its term, was interrupted by the resignation of the President of the Republic, which created a situation of legal vacuum. This will lead to the implementation of transitory structures (High Committee of State and National Consultative Council then Transitory National Council), until the constitutional revision of 28th November 1996, which will modify the Algerian institutional landscape by establishing a two Chamber parliament, composed of a People's National Assembly (380 members) and a Council of Nation (144 members). These two institutions were elected in 5th June 1997, and constitute the first pluralist Parliament of the independent Algeria.

President : Mr. Karim Younes