The next parliamentary election is scheduled for 2012, and we expect the results to be broadly similar to those in the previous election in 2007. The Front de libération nationale (FLN), historically Algeria's ruling party, will continue to lose ground as the dominant political force in the country and will probably see an internal shake-up before the election. Internal conflict within the party is growing, with reports of violent altercations between party members, and the status of the party secretary-general, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, looks increasingly untenable. The Rassemblement nationale démocratique, the party of the prime minister, and opposition parties, including the Front national algérien, a conservative party, will probably gain more seats in the next election. The presidential election is supposed to take place in 2014. Parliament ratified a change to the constitution in 2008 that allowed Mr Bouteflika to run for a third term; it is possible that it could be changed again to allow him to stand in the next election. Mr Belkhadem announced the support of the FLN for Mr Bouteflika for another term in late December 2010.