Algeria's former sole ruling party has regained an overall majority in national elections tainted by violence and a record low turnout.

The National Liberation Front (FLN) secured 199 of 389 seats in the lower house of parliament, according to Interior Minister Noureddine Zerhouni.

On his own: Many Algerians backed the opposition's poll boycott

Opposition parties including the Socialist Forces Front and the Rally for Culture and Democracy had called for a boycott of the vote to protest at high unemployment, austere economic policies and poll irregularities.

The BBC's Peter Hiett, in Algiers, says that as the political dust settles, the picture that is emerging bears a strong resemblance to the Algeria of the 1980s.

The FLN - the party that won the independence war - is now in firm control of civil government and the armed forces.

Our correspondent says the mainly Berber democratic opposition is as marginalised as ever, and there seems little improvement to the problems of poverty, corruption and unemployment.

The overall turnout was recorded at 47.49% - the lowest since independence in 1962. In Tizi Ouzou, the capital of the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie, just 1.85% of voters bothered to vote.

The FLN was the sole ruling party from 1962 until 1991 and has ruled in coalition since. Its leader, Ali Benflis, is Algeria's prime minister.

The opposition parties had predicted election fraud and are expected to denounce the results.

Analysts said many people had decided not to vote because they believed the election would change nothing.

Police clashes

Many polling stations failed to open in Tizi Ouzou as riot police clashed with youths.

Algerian election

23 parties and 1,266 independent candidates fighting for 389 seats 1991 election sparked civil war when the military regime rejected Islamist victory 1997 election marred by fraud allegations Special election watchdog has been set up for this election

The elections were for the first time being held under a system of proportional representation which, the Algerian Government said, was to prevent a repeat of electoral fraud which occurred in 1997.

Critics of the regime said the election was just a show of pluralism to satisfy the West and give the appearance of democracy.

The US condemned the election violence but said it supported moves towards democracy by Algeria.

But our correspondent says that parliament in Algeria is a powerless body with little influence over policy.

Key issues are decided by a secretive group of senior army and intelligence officers whom Algerians call "les decideurs", or the decision-makers.