Algeria will elect its national assembly on May 10. The vote is part of a raft of reforms introduced by long-serving President Abdelaziz Bouteflika following the upheaval that swept away regimes in neighboring countries. The changes included allowing new political parties to form, creating new seats in parliament and increasing public sector salaries. It will be a crowded field, with 44 parties competing to fill 462 seats. The performance of the seven Islamist parties will be closely watched. Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, who heads the National Rally for Democracy (RND), part of a three-party alliance loyal to President Bouteflika, recently dismissed fears of a repeat of 1991. That year, the government cancelled general elections after the Islamic Salvation Front won the first round. A decade of violence followed, leaving an estimated 200,000 people dead.
Ballot Box Watch: Your Guide to May Elections
Global Spin previews the pick of this month's exercises in democracy