Algeria Elects Khalida Boufedeche First Female Speaker

Algeria’s parliament has elected its first female speaker, with Khalida Boufedeche making history as the country’s highest-ranking woman in government.

Lawmakers voted on Tuesday evening to elect Boufedeche as speaker of the 407-member parliament, making her the fourth-highest-ranking official in Algeria.

Boufedeche, an allergist by profession, represents the capital, Algiers, and is a member of the National Liberation Front (FLN), the historic party that led Algeria’s independence struggle and now supports the current government.

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The FLN emerged as the largest party in the parliamentary elections held earlier this month, winning 91 seats.

The election recorded the lowest voter turnout in the country’s history, with just 21 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots.

Before joining parliament, Boufedeche served in local politics and became a member of the FLN’s central committee.

Her election comes at a time when women remain underrepresented in Algeria’s legislature.

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Women currently occupy only 25 of the parliament’s 407 seats, representing about six percent of lawmakers.

The previous parliament had 38 female members, while the legislature elected in 2017 included 118 women under a quota system.

Boufedeche’s appointment marks a historic milestone for women’s political representation in Algeria, despite the continued decline in the number of female lawmakers.

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Deborah Akwa

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