Bobby Ghosh, Columnist

Algeria Blows Another Chance at Reform

A tepid effort to revise the constitution leaves its government even more discredited.

November 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM UTC

Bobby Ghosh is a senior editor in the digital weekend team. Previously, he was a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion, where he wrote mostly about international affairs and culture.

A plebiscite needs more plebes.
Photographer: Ryad Kramdi/AFP via Getty Images

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If you’re looking for a redeeming feature in the farce that was Algeria’s constitutional referendum, it may be this: The ruling clique didn’t pretend it got a ringing endorsement. The official turnout was 23%, the country’s lowest ever, and 67% supported the changes.

In other words, less than 16% of eligible voters favor the proposals.