Algeria's ruling party wins legislative elections

Algeria's ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), won the legislative elections held on Saturday amid historically high abstention rates and a political crisis, the National Elections Authority announced Tuesday.

Its victory surprised many observers who had written off the party due to its links with former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The FLN led with 105 of the 407 seats, followed by independent candidates with 78 seats. The country's main Islamist party, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), which had claimed victory in the polls, came third with 64 seats, elections commission president Mohamed Chorfi told reporters.

The FLN's share of seats has recorded a significant decline compared to the last elections.

It lost more than 50 seats and controls a quarter of the elected members of the new assembly.

The Rassemblement national démocratique (RND), with which the FLN has traditionally allied itself, won 57 seats (14%).

"The foundations of this Parliament were built in freedom and transparency by the people," said Mohamed Chorfi.

The commission said 5.6 million voters out of more than 24 million voters took part in the exercise.