A handful of Algerian political parties criticized the National Independent Authority for Elections’ rejection of numerous political candidates ahead of Algeria’s Nov. 27 local elections, Liberte reported Oct. 23. Why It Matters: These candidate disqualifications indicate the Algerian government’s wariness regarding increasingly democratic elections. And because major Algerian political parties like the Socialist Forces Front and the Movement of Society for Peace are already unhappy with the electoral authority’s gatekeeping, the parties are unlikely to approve of Algeria’s elections overall. The government’s tenuous credibility with political parties creates some political risk, especially when paired with a low popular mandate that could result in protests. Background: Algeria’s local elections, which are supposed to take place every five years, are being held one year early in an effort to "build a democratic Algeria even closer to its citizens," according to the current government.