Political parties and the transition from authoritarianism: the case of Algeria

Abstract

Since the bloody events of October 1988, Algeria has experienced important transformations. That date marked the beginning of the transition from authoritarianism with the opening of political space to previously excluded groups. A number of reforms were introduced, partly because of pressure from the street, but mainly because the incumbent authorities needed them to legitimise themselves and hang on to power. In the aftermath of the October events, the regime fragmented and a hitherto hidden struggle for power among the various political clans rose to the surface. This paper looks at the Algerian transition and assesses the role of Algeria's political parties in this process, asking whether they played a traditional role, or whether they were just puppets of the regime which served only to legitimise the process of change.