The Council of the Nation

The Council of the Nation is the second Chamber of the Algerian Parliament. Instituted for the first time by the Constitution of November 28, 1996 (Article 98), the Council of the Nation includes/understands 144 members, of which the 2/3, either 96 members, are elected by the indirect vote for all, among and by the elected officials of the Local Assemblies (Assembled Popular Communal and of Wilaya) within each Wilaya, the remaining third, or 48 members being indicated by the President of the Republic. The term of the office of the Council of the Nation is six years, the renewal being done however per half every three years. This caused besides the implementation of the transitional provision envisaged by article 181 of the Constitution, to determine first half to renew, in January 2001.

The Council of the Nation exerts with the National People's Assembly, the legislative power. For this reason, he votes the laws in the majority of the 3/4 of his members (Article 120). He can be seized only by the texts already adopted by the APN, for which he does not have however the capacity of amendment. In the event of dissension between APN and the Council of the Nation, an ad hoc Joint Committee is installed and is charged to propose a text revised which is subjected to the approval of the two Chambers, without possibility of amendment.