On June 12, 1990 Algeria held its first multi-party elections in which the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), an Islamic fundamentalist party, defeated the ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN). This study is an empirical analysis of the social basis of the FIS. This social basis was determined by an analysis of the Algerian census and election returns.
Data analysis suggests that the FIS drew support from the young, males, the educated, urban areas, those employed in professional or service positions and small businessmen. In other words, the support of the FIS was found in the middle-class of Algerian society.