Algeria's National Liberation Front party, called the FLN, won 199 of the 389 national assembly seats in May 30 legislative elections -- only the second since the outbreak of the country's civil war 10 years ago -- giving it a majority in the lower house of parliament. The victory rings hollow, as voter turnout didn't even reach 50 percent of the 18 million people eligible to vote, making it the lowest level of political participation since the North African country gained independence 40 years ago.
The vote was regarded as a test of whether radical opposition groups courted by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika through a general amnesty in 2000 -- part of an effort to end the war -- would participate in the political process. The low turnout is in effect a symbolic vote by nearly the entire country of no confidence in the government and its shadowy military leadership. This may not translate into a short-term surge in domestic violence and political unrest, but these are sure to come as despair and apathy transform into frustration and rage.
Right now, the government can use high oil prices and the resultant revenue to buoy the economy and sustain the status quo. But even a short-term slide in oil prices could destabilize the country.
The vote was regarded as a test of whether radical opposition groups courted by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika through a general amnesty in 2000 -- part of an effort to end the war -- would participate in the political process. The low turnout is in effect a symbolic vote by nearly the entire country of no confidence in the government and its shadowy military leadership. This may not translate into a short-term surge in domestic violence and political unrest, but these are sure to come as despair and apathy transform into frustration and rage.
Right now, the government can use high oil prices and the resultant revenue to buoy the economy and sustain the status quo. But even a short-term slide in oil prices could destabilize the country.