Algeria to Hold Referendum on Constitution on Nov.1

Arab World

August 24th, 6:00pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune arrives for the Assembly of the Heads of State and the Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 9, 2020. (Reuters)

Algeria has set Nov. 1 as a date for a referendum on a new constitution aimed at boosting democracy and giving parliament a greater role, the presidency said on Monday, after months-long protests demanding reforms. Elected last December, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly pledged to introduce political and economic reforms and to meet demands raised in demonstrations that toppled veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019. The new constitution would give the prime minister and parliament more powers to govern North African country of 45 million people, a draft released earlier this year showed. The referendum date was announced after Tebboune’s meeting with the head of the election authority Mohamed Chorfi earlier on Monday, the presidency said in a statement.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2467051/algeria-hold-referendum-constitution-nov1