دزائر « DZĀỈR »
— Also: الجزائر « ɔal-Ĝazāỉr »; Lz̦ayer.
— Officially: الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية « ɔal-Ĝumhūrīaḧ ɔal-Ĝazāỉrīaḧ ɔal-Dīmuqrātīaḧ ɔal-Šacbīaḧ ».
— English: Algeria.
— Seat of government: دزائر « Dzāỉr » / الجزائر « ɔal-Ĝazāỉr ».
— Status: Not democratic.
— Structure: Collective government based mostly on the military hierarchy.
— Governing party: The military.
— Heads of government: عبد العزيز بوتفليقة « Cabd ɔul-Cazīz Būtfliqaḧ », president; أحمد ݣايد صالح « Ɔahmad Gāīd Sālah », military chief of staff; محمد (توفيق) مدين « Muham:ad (Tūfīq) Madīan », intelligence chief.
— Chief opposition party: الجبهة الاسلامية للأنقاذ « ɔal-Ĝabhaḧ ɔal-Ɔislāmīaḧ lil-Ɔinqāđ ».
— Assessment: Torn between military and fundamentalist rule, the latter of which would be democratic, but neither of which would be liberal. The winner of the last free election, in 1992, which was cancelled, was الجبهة الاسلامية للأنقاذ « ɔal-Ĝabhaḧ ɔal-Ɔislāmīaḧ lil-Ɔinqāđ », now banned. بوتفليقة « Būtfliqaḧ » originally came to office in a dubious 1999 election. His reelection in 2004 was generally deemed free, but without a change in power; a third election in 2009 was generally deemed not free and again did not lead to a change in power. A 2014 election saw بوتفليقة « Būtfliqaḧ » officially win a fourth term. For the middle part of his time in office, بوتفليقة « Būtfliqaḧ » was largely dictating policy, though he may now be somewhat incapacitated.
— FH: 6-5, not free. Econ: 3.83 (118), authoritarian.
— Updated: 2014 November 30.
O.T. FORD