Algeria's President Tebboune reforms local governance laws to ease political tensions

Algeria is finally set to reform an outdated local governance system that has hindered development for years—one of many changes President Abdelmadjid Tebboune pledged in an effort to reconcile with his opposition.  

On 18 December, a presidentially appointed committee unveiled the final draft of laws governing local governance institutions—municipalities and provinces—in Algeria.  

Among the most notable changes is the classification of the country's 1,541 municipalities into three categories: urban, semi-urban, and rural. The committee described the reform as an effort "to recalibrate governance and better serve the needs of Algeria's rapidly evolving population and infrastructure."  

At the provincial level, the draft law shifts greater authority to local councils, allowing them to plan development projects and secure loans for revenue-generating ventures. It also gives councils the authority to oversee projects such as building schools and addressing transportation needs based on local demands.  

If approved by Parliament in January, the country is expected to hold early local elections to formalise the new system and resolve deadlocks in more than 500 municipal councils, which have been paralysed by internal disagreements, according to local media.  

Algeria's most recent reform to its local governance laws was in 2011 when the government enacted the Municipal Government Act amid regional pro-reform uprisings. While, the act gave municipalities policymaking power in theory, in practice, the rather limited budgetary renders their policies meaningless, according to the European Committee of the Regions' Decentralisation Index.

On 2 October, President Tebboune tasked the interior ministry, parliamentary representatives, and local council leaders with drafting legislation that "aligns with Algeria's current needs."

The new draft law could extend beyond local governance, potentially reshaping the electoral law. One anticipated reform introduces stricter eligibility criteria for local election candidates, requiring specific educational and professional qualifications.  

The president's move followed mounting calls from major political parties for reforms to restore public confidence and ease political tensions.

Groups such as the Movement of Society for Peace, the Socialist Forces Front, and the National Liberation Front have urged Tebboune to decentralise power, granting local representatives and councils greater autonomy.  

The largest Islamist opposition group in the country, the Movement of Society for Peace, has voiced support for the reforms but called for "broader political changes that prioritise freedoms and unity."

On 19 December, the group—cautiously critical of the government—released a statement emphasising the urgency of political unity in light of regional developments, referencing the fall of the Al-Assad regime in Syria, one of Tebboune's allies.  

Despite his sweeping victory in September's early election—held without an official explanation for the timing—Tebboune has acknowledged the need for a national dialogue. His win was marred by low voter turnout and widespread dissatisfaction, which remains muted in the streets due to a ban on protests but is widely discussed in Algeria's cafés and across social media.  

In an attempt to ease tensions, Tebboune granted a presidential pardon to 18 activists and journalists trialled in politically motivated "terrorism" cases and promised a dialogue "to uphold true democracy."  

However, critics remain sceptical of the President's pledges with at least 200 people still imprisoned under a broad anti-terrorism law, protests banned, and the country's largest human rights organisation dissolved.