Determining new parliamentary seats according to the results of the 2022 population census – New Algeria

I took the government The draft law amending the electoral districts took into account the results of the general population census of 2002 to control the number of parliamentary seats. According to what was stated in the draft law, a copy of which “elhiwar us” has, the electoral districts were expanded from 58 to 69 electoral districts. Added to this is the electoral district for the Algerian community, with the redistribution of seats between the commanding states and the states that were created in recent years, the last of which are 11 new states that were created in the high plateaus and the south. Recently, the number of states increased to 69 states.

This step came in line with the amending and supplementing law No. 84-09 of February 4, 1984, relating toRegional division of the country The amended and supplementary states, according to which eleven new states were created (Aflou, Barika, Bir Al-Ater, Qasr Al-Shallala, Ain Ousara, Massaad, Qasr Al-Bukhari, Bou Saada, Al-Abyad Sidi Sheikh, Al-Qantara and Al-Arisha), which embodies a qualitative step in the process of modernizing the legal system framing the country’s regional organization and reflects a clear political will to enhance its effectiveness and flexibility in a way that serves the highest interest of the state and responds to the challenges of the stage. It is not limited to a mere formal amendment, but rather establishes For a new approach based on administrative effectiveness, regional balance, and ensuring the harmony of territorial structures with major national goals.

It is noteworthy and worth noting that the government took into account the preliminary statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics for the year 2022 in order to determine the number of seats required to be filled in the parliamentary elections, in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of Order No. 21-02 dated Shaaban 2, 1442, corresponding to March 16, 2022, and for this reason the number of electoral districts in the elections of members was increased. National People’s Assembly From 58 to 69 electoral districts, in addition to adding an electoral district for the national community abroad, that is, an increase of eleven electoral districts, which were created in order to suit the current development, economic and social requirements, allowing for bringing the service closer to the citizen and improving the quality of public service.

In this context, the current total number of seats was reduced by 12 from the seats in the parent states, namely: Laghouat, Batna, Tlemcen, Tiaret, Djelfa Medina and Al-Mesliya, as these seats were transferred to the newly created states.

As for the newly created states, the number of seats for the eleven new states was determined on the basis of 3 seats for each state for the states of (Aflou, Barika, Qantara, Bir El Ater, Areisha, Qasr Al-Shallala, Ain Ousara, Massad, Qasr Al-Bukhari and Al-Obeid Sidi Sheikh), given that the population of each state does not exceed 200,000 people, and 4 seats for the state of Bou Saada, since its population exceeds this number.

The standard in force in the 2021 presidential order was maintained, which stipulates the allocation of one seat for every 120,000 people, with the addition of one seat in the event that the population exceeds 60,000 people. This proportional rule ensures the representation of states according to their population density, while ensuring a minimum of 3 seats for states with low population densities of less than 200,000 people.

Based on this criterion, the number of seats to be filled in the parliamentary elections has increased by 48 parliamentary seats, and the distribution of seats is as follows: The number of seats has increased from 407 to 422 seats, i.e. a difference of 15 compared to the current number, while the number of seats in the upper chamber of Parliament, the National Assembly, will increase from 174 to 207 seats, i.e. a difference of 33 seats, including 138 seats distributed on the basis of two seats for each state, including 22 seats for the eleven new states and 69 seats for the presidential third.

There are some questions that currently arise related to how control is distributed Electoral lists And the redistribution of voters, as well as the readiness of the states in terms of administrative structures, human and financial resources, and mechanisms to ensure the smooth transfer of powers between the original states and the new states without compromising the continuity of the public facility, as well as the criteria adopted in selecting the regions concerned with development and the extent of their ability to achieve financial independence in the medium and long term. In addition to this, the extent of its actual contribution to reducing regional disparities and achieving regional justice, as well as the deadlines and mechanisms for implementing the transitional provisions stipulated in this text.

The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, previously ordered a review of the draft amendment to the law specifying electoral districts, the number of seats required to be filled in Parliament, and the involvement of political parties before approving the law in its final form, announcing in the same context the formation of a committee to follow up and review the amendment to this draft law. It will meet at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Republic, to decide finally on the number of seats required to be filled in Parliament, and in November 2025, President Tebboune decided to upgrade 11 administrative provinces in the High Plateaus and the south to states with full powers. This brings the number of states in Algeria to 69 states.

Fouad Q