ALGIERS - Algeria's parliamentary electoral campaign officially starts Sunday, with 44 political parties seeking support from a potential of 24 million electors.

Local authorities have reserved special halls for candidates to hold campaign meetings and have put up billboards for them to stick posters.

As many as 25,800 candidates, including 7,646 women, are running in this election to be held on May 10, according to the Ministry of Interior. A total of 44 political parties, including 21 recently authorized, will compete with 2,053 candidate lists both at home and abroad. Independent candidates are presented in another 211 lists.

The main task of a new parliament is to draft a new constitution that would reinforce the state of rule in the North African country, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said.

Although the Ministry of Interior estimated a total of 24 million electors, some political parties doubted the figure and described it as "exaggerating." In 2007, the electorate was about 17 million, of which only 35 percent voted.

About 500 monitors will supervise the election, including 120 from the European Union, 200 from the African Union, 100 from the Arab League, 10 from the United Nations, 20 from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and some others from two US NGOs.

The National Commission for the Monitoring of the Legislative Election (CNSEL), composed of representatives of political parties running for the election, will also supervise the electoral process.

The People's National Assembly (lower house of the parliament) is composed of 464 seats, with members elected for a five-year term. After the vote, the Constitutional Council will announce election results.