DNA: Belkhadem has forgotten that he had predicted a large score for the Islamists
On 19 December 2011 Abdel Aziz Belkhadem, secretary general of the FLN said "all political parties of the Islamist movement would obtain between 35% to 40% of the vote, "or between 135 to 155 seats in the outgoing assembly, which had 389 seats against 492 in the current chamber.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/DNA-Belkhadem-h...
DNA ( Dernieres Nouvelles d' Algérie) points out that Abdelaziz Belkhadem, head of the FLN which won 220 seats in the parliament and together with its partner the RND party with 68 seats now has a majority. The islamist green allaince secured only 48 seats.
Following the FLN victory Abdelaziz Belkhadem observed "It would have been wiser for the leaders of those parties and those who supported them financially and in the media to think carefully before predicting their landslide victory and their seizure of power and already form a government," said Belkhadem at a meeting in a hotel in the suburb of Zeralda, reports DNA.
"It was a serious political mistake to base their hopes on what happened in neighboring countries," said the secretary general of the FLN in front of his newly elected deputies.
DNA observes that the head of the FLN appears to have a short memory after the FLN's "miracle victory" . It is true that his original prediction was 6 month's prior to the election. To be fair to Mr Belkhadem , the Minister of the Interior, Daho Ould Kabila also predicted that there would be no overall winner with a majority in the parliament.
Was this a Machiavellian attempt to calm voters apprehensions ? It seems unlikely. It is in the nature of free and fair elections that surprises may happen. Whether the Algerian elections were free and fair is disputed by the islamists but international observers did endorse the conduct of the elections and allies such as the USA welcomed the result.
What it does show is that Le Pouvoir, the system forged in the heat of longterm conflict is remarkably resilient and the deep state which governs has not been altered. Algeria finds its own solutions in its own way . All eyes are now on the drafting of the new consitution and long promised reforms , and the Presidential elections in 2014.
Following the FLN victory Abdelaziz Belkhadem observed "It would have been wiser for the leaders of those parties and those who supported them financially and in the media to think carefully before predicting their landslide victory and their seizure of power and already form a government," said Belkhadem at a meeting in a hotel in the suburb of Zeralda, reports DNA.
"It was a serious political mistake to base their hopes on what happened in neighboring countries," said the secretary general of the FLN in front of his newly elected deputies.
DNA observes that the head of the FLN appears to have a short memory after the FLN's "miracle victory" . It is true that his original prediction was 6 month's prior to the election. To be fair to Mr Belkhadem , the Minister of the Interior, Daho Ould Kabila also predicted that there would be no overall winner with a majority in the parliament.
Was this a Machiavellian attempt to calm voters apprehensions ? It seems unlikely. It is in the nature of free and fair elections that surprises may happen. Whether the Algerian elections were free and fair is disputed by the islamists but international observers did endorse the conduct of the elections and allies such as the USA welcomed the result.
What it does show is that Le Pouvoir, the system forged in the heat of longterm conflict is remarkably resilient and the deep state which governs has not been altered. Algeria finds its own solutions in its own way . All eyes are now on the drafting of the new consitution and long promised reforms , and the Presidential elections in 2014.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/DNA-Belkhadem-h...