Since 1958, Algeria has had several heads of state, starting with the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic (GPRA) formed during the Algerian War.
After gaining independence in 1962, five people officially served as President of Algeria. There have also been two GPRA leaders and four interim heads of state.
Notably, Houari Boumédiène and Liamine Zéroual served both as interim leaders and full presidents. Here’s a complete list of all Algerian presidents, Including the four interims:
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No. | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ferhat Abbas | 19 September 1958 | 9 August 1961 | National Liberation Front |
2 | Benyoucef Benkhedda | 9 August 1961 | 27 September 1962 | National Liberation Front |
3 | Abderrahmane Farès | 13 April 1962 | 25 September 1962 | National Liberation Front |
4 | Ferhat Abbas | 25 September 1962 | 15 September 1963 | National Liberation Front |
5 | Ahmed Ben Bella | 15 September 1963 | 19 June 1965 | National Liberation Front |
6 | Revolutionary Council: Chairman Houari Boumédiène | 19 June 1965 | 10 December 1976 | Military |
7 | Houari Boumédiène | 10 December 1976 | 27 December 1978 | National Liberation Front |
8 | Rabah Bitat | 27 December 1978 | 9 February 1979 | National Liberation Front |
9 | Chadli Bendjedid | 9 February 1979 | 11 January 1992 | National Liberation Front |
10 | Abdelmalek Benhabyles | 11 January 1992 | 14 January 1992 | National Liberation Front |
11 | Mohamed Boudiaf | 14 January 1992 | 29 June 1992 | Party of the Socialist Revolution |
12 | Ali Kafi | 2 July 1992 | 31 January 1994 | National Liberation Front |
13 | Liamine Zéroual | 31 January 1994 | 27 April 1999 | Independent |
14 | Abdelaziz Bouteflika | 27 April 1999 | 2 April 2019 | Independent |
15 | Abdelkader Bensalah | 9 April 2019 | 19 December 2019 | Independent |
16 | Abdelmadjid Tebboune | 19 December 2019 | Incumbent | Independent |
Note: Only five individuals have officially served as the president of Algeria.
Who Was The First President Of Algeria?
Ahmed Ben Bella born on December 25, 1916, was the first President of Algeria. His family were peasant farmers, and he grew up in a rural setting.
Ben Bella received a French education and later joined the French army during World War II. He showed great bravery on the battlefield, earning several awards, such as the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille Militaire.
However, after the war, his focus was on fighting for Algeria’s independence from French colonial rule. In 1954, Ben Bella helped create the National Liberation Front (FLN), a group that started an armed struggle to free Algeria.
This led to a long and violent war of independence, which lasted from 1954 to 1962. During this time, Ben Bella was arrested and imprisoned by the French from 1956 to 1962.
Despite being in prison, he became a symbol of hope and resistance for many Algerians. When Algeria gained independence on July 5, 1962, Ben Bella was appointed Prime Minister. In 1963, he became the country’s first elected president. As president, Ben Bella focused on socialist reforms.
He nationalized industries and wanted to make Algeria a leading voice in the Non-Aligned Movement, which included countries that didn’t side with major world powers. However, his leadership faced criticism for being too populist and disorganized. This led to political tensions, especially within the FLN. In 1965, Ben Bella was overthrown in a military coup led by Houari Boumediene.
After the coup, Ben Bella was imprisoned for over a decade and later placed under house arrest. He lived in exile for nearly ten years but returned to Algeria in 1990. Ben Bella passed away on April 11, 2012, at the age of 95.
Who Was The Second President Of Algeria?
The second president of Algeria was Houari Boumediene, who served from 1965 until he died in 1978. He was born in 1932 in Guelma Province and was originally named Mohammed Ben Brahim Boukharouba.
Boumediene played a big part in Algeria’s history after the country gained independence from France in 1962. During the Algerian War of Independence, he joined the National Liberation Front (FLN) and quickly became a key figure in the fight against French colonial rule.
In 1965, Boumediene led a coup d’état that removed Algeria’s first president, Ahmed Ben Bella, from power. The military supported this action, which was a big change in the country’s political direction.
After the coup, Boumediene became chairman of the Revolutionary Council and later took on the role of president. During his time as president, he strengthened his control and introduced socialist policies to modernize Algeria’s economy.
One of his major achievements was the nationalization of the oil and gas industries, which gave Algeria major financial resources. These funds were used to develop infrastructure and improve public services like education and health care.
Boumediene’s economic plans reduce foreign influence and make Algeria more self-reliant. He also carried out land reforms, redistributing land from wealthy owners to peasants, though the success of these reforms was mixed.
On the international front, Boumediene was an important supporter of non-alignment and liberation movements in Africa and other regions. He promoted unity among Arab and African nations and often hosted conferences to bring developing countries together.
Although his presidency brought economic progress and stability, Boumediene was criticized for ruling with an authoritarian style and limiting political freedoms. He passed away on December 27, 1978, from a serious illness.
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Who Is The Current President Of Algeria?
The current President of Algeria is Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He became president on December 19, 2019, after winning the presidential election. Tebboune was recently re-elected on September 7, 2024, securing about 84.3% of the votes.
However, the election had a low voter turnout, with only around 46.1% of eligible voters participating. This was an improvement over the previous election, but it still showed that many people in Algeria are not interested in the political process or are unhappy with it.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune was born on November 17, 1945, and he served as the Prime Minister of Algeria for a short time in 2017. He also held different ministerial roles, including the position of Minister of Housing.
Tebboune succeeded Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who stepped down in 2019 after facing large protests against his long time in power. When Tebboune first became president in December 2019, it was a difficult time for Algeria.
The country had just gone through the Hirak protests, where many people demanded changes in politics and an end to corruption. Since then, Tebboune has tried to stabilize the country and address the needs of people who are unhappy with the government.
In the most recent election, Tebboune faced two other candidates, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif and Youcef Aouchiche. Despite his big win, there were still many concerns about the fairness of the election.
Many people in Algeria are upset with how the government controls the political scene, and there are worries about the lack of freedom to speak out against the government.