Representatives of secular parties in Islamic parties' headquarters in Algeria

Despite the fact that the Algerian election was held last month, its results are still the focus of numerous political controversies.

Five parties, the Peaceful Society Movement, the Renaissance, the Socialist Powers Front, the Gathering for Culture and Democracy, and the Labor party, deferred the meetings of their leaders which were supposed to have been held last Sunday. The five parties held a general strike yesterday and today in a new defiance of the Algerian government, which issued a decree not to organize any demonstrations without prior permission.

For the first time in Algeria, members of secular parties met with members of Islamic parties in the latter's party headquarters. The reactions of the parties differed as the National Liberation Front kept itself aloof from the protest rallies while the Peaceful Society party continues to protest the results of the election.

Leading members of the Peaceful Society Movement headed by Mahfouz Nehnah are afraid that the Movement might lose the 7 seats it won if it keeps protesting. The five parties stated that the results of the petitions filed by them prove that the recent elections had been tampered with.