The Political Responsibility of the Prime Minister or Head of Government, as the Case May Be, in Light of the 2020 Constitutional Amendment

Prime Minister, Head of Government, political responsability, President of the Republic, Parliament, oversight.

In line with the principle of interdependent powers and responsibilities, the 2020 amendments to the Algerian Constitution maintained the dual political responsability of the Prime Minister to both the President of the Republic and Parliament. Under the Algerian the Constitution, the President of the Republic appoints a Prime Minister to lead the government, depending on the outcome of the legislative elections. If the legislative elections result in a presidential majority, the Prime Minister implements the presidential programme. Conversely, if a parliamentary majority is elected, the Head of Government implements their programme. Although the constitutional framers intended to adopt a democratic approach by establishing the position of Head of Government as completely independent from the President of the Republic, an imbalance remains in the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Prime Minister and the Head of Government. This is because both remain subject to the President of the Republic with regard to appointment and termination of functions. They are also subject to parliamentary mechanisms for scrutinising the government action and ensuring political resbonsability. Furthermore, the political opposition is weak.