Algeria is our Spring.
Algeria is the only country in the Maghreb whose political system has remained in place during the Arab Spring and whose government does not have a majority islamic party in power. On 10 May the elections may bring change but it is difficult to assess how far reaching the change may be.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Algeria-is-our-...
The FLN party has dominated Algerian politics since independence in 1962 and the 50th anniversary year of independence may see a change in this position. The government has simplified election rules and allowed the formation of some 20 new Algerian parties. EU and American observers will observe the elections.
The elections will be run by judicial and party oversight, not the ministry of interior as in the past. The President himself admitted that previous elections were less than fair so there is a new emphasis on transparency.
Nationalism is being appealed to with the slogan "Algeria is our Spring".
Perhaps the greatest government concern is voter apathy and distrust of politicians more perhaps than the arrival in power of an islamist party. Despite its immense oil and gas wealth Algeria's bureaucratic state run economy has not been able to find sufficient jobs for its young people despite massive infrastructure spending.Algeria is an oil economy which has yet to achieve sufficient diversification. Hamid Temmar Minister of Projection and Statistics tried hard in the early 2,000s to encourage privatisation when he was Minister of Participation ( the then Algerian code word for privatisation) and Minister of Industry and investment promotion. However the Algerian government preferred to pursue the state run economy and to run things its own way.
It is still seeking membership of the WTO no doubt on its own terms. Time has now caught up with Algeria and it is rushing to encourage its people to turn out in large numbers for the upcoming election and changes are promised to the economic system to encourage job creation and entrepreneurship for the young.
The government seeks a managed transition again doing things it's way.Will the young people,many of whom are unemployed,answer the call to vote?
Mr Temmar stressed last Sunday the importance of maintaining stability and peace to ensure economic growth.As so often in the past he is right but the question remains will the reality of Algeria's situation permit stability and peace? The FLN and the islamic green coalition are both torn amongst themselves over the selection of candidates and the FLN governing committee is calling for their secretary general Abdelaziz Belkhadem to stand down just as the electoral campaign gets underway. Commentators have also raised questions about the islamists ability to overcome their divisions but they may yet surprise everyone. The situation has come full circle since the Algerian army prevented the election of the FIS in 1992.
The army is unlikely to act in the same way this time as the islamist parties have found their place in the political system and the Army has declared that it will not intervene in the political process. In large measure this is the achievement of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who brought the country back from the dark days of Algeria's civil war which cost an estimated 200,000 lives and through his policy of reconciliation, much criticised at the time, did as much as anyone could to heal the wounds, for the effects of such a tragedy are long lasting and Algeria lost as many as a million people in the brutal war against France for independence.The Algerian people suffered more and longer than any of the Maghreb countries. They have reason to fear strife and disorder.
Were Algeria post election to descend into the political chaos facing Egypt, Libya and to a lesser extent Tunisia all faced with disorder and divided political strife, then there would be cause concern, and Mr Temmar's words ring true for it is the established order which is menaced by divisive politics and order in the end has to prevail for a successful democracy. Both government and opposition have to work together even when disagreeing, for the good of society so that justice at long last prevails and the people feel they have the chance of a dignified and more prosperous life that has so far been denied to so many of the Algerian people by its political system.The results of the Algerian election will be crucial for all of North Africa. We will see whether "Algeria is our Spring".
The elections will be run by judicial and party oversight, not the ministry of interior as in the past. The President himself admitted that previous elections were less than fair so there is a new emphasis on transparency.
Nationalism is being appealed to with the slogan "Algeria is our Spring".
Perhaps the greatest government concern is voter apathy and distrust of politicians more perhaps than the arrival in power of an islamist party. Despite its immense oil and gas wealth Algeria's bureaucratic state run economy has not been able to find sufficient jobs for its young people despite massive infrastructure spending.Algeria is an oil economy which has yet to achieve sufficient diversification. Hamid Temmar Minister of Projection and Statistics tried hard in the early 2,000s to encourage privatisation when he was Minister of Participation ( the then Algerian code word for privatisation) and Minister of Industry and investment promotion. However the Algerian government preferred to pursue the state run economy and to run things its own way.
It is still seeking membership of the WTO no doubt on its own terms. Time has now caught up with Algeria and it is rushing to encourage its people to turn out in large numbers for the upcoming election and changes are promised to the economic system to encourage job creation and entrepreneurship for the young.
The government seeks a managed transition again doing things it's way.Will the young people,many of whom are unemployed,answer the call to vote?
Mr Temmar stressed last Sunday the importance of maintaining stability and peace to ensure economic growth.As so often in the past he is right but the question remains will the reality of Algeria's situation permit stability and peace? The FLN and the islamic green coalition are both torn amongst themselves over the selection of candidates and the FLN governing committee is calling for their secretary general Abdelaziz Belkhadem to stand down just as the electoral campaign gets underway. Commentators have also raised questions about the islamists ability to overcome their divisions but they may yet surprise everyone. The situation has come full circle since the Algerian army prevented the election of the FIS in 1992.
The army is unlikely to act in the same way this time as the islamist parties have found their place in the political system and the Army has declared that it will not intervene in the political process. In large measure this is the achievement of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who brought the country back from the dark days of Algeria's civil war which cost an estimated 200,000 lives and through his policy of reconciliation, much criticised at the time, did as much as anyone could to heal the wounds, for the effects of such a tragedy are long lasting and Algeria lost as many as a million people in the brutal war against France for independence.The Algerian people suffered more and longer than any of the Maghreb countries. They have reason to fear strife and disorder.
Were Algeria post election to descend into the political chaos facing Egypt, Libya and to a lesser extent Tunisia all faced with disorder and divided political strife, then there would be cause concern, and Mr Temmar's words ring true for it is the established order which is menaced by divisive politics and order in the end has to prevail for a successful democracy. Both government and opposition have to work together even when disagreeing, for the good of society so that justice at long last prevails and the people feel they have the chance of a dignified and more prosperous life that has so far been denied to so many of the Algerian people by its political system.The results of the Algerian election will be crucial for all of North Africa. We will see whether "Algeria is our Spring".
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Algeria-is-our-...