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Algeria
Socialist Vanguard Party
The Socialist Vanguard Party (Parti de l'Avant-Garde Socialiste--PAGS),
although not legally recognized, has persisted as a political
opposition party throughout the single-party period. As an outgrowth
of the Algerian Communist Party (Parti Communiste Algérien--PCA),
which disappeared soon after Algerian independence, the PAGS has
consistently opposed the government, offering sharp criticism
of all political leaders and most of their programs. Its members,
referred to as "Pagsistes," have infiltrated almost every legally
recognized mass association despite their unofficial status. The
Pagsistes have been especially prominent in such organizations
as the UNJA and UGTA, encouraging leftist tendencies. The legalization
and proliferation of political parties in 1989 in practice annulled
the necessity of PAGS's continued existence; the Pagsistes essentially
disappeared into the plethora of nationally recognized opposition
groups. No communist party or political association has been legally
recognized.
Data as of December 1993
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