Season of promises
The race for the Algerian presidential elections has begun. Amira Howeidy reports
Seven men and one woman now stand as candidates for Algeria's presidential elections, slated for 8 April. Algerian President Abdul-Aziz Bouteflika announced on Saturday he will stand for a second term aimed at "restoring civic peace and advancing national reconciliation", getting Algeria "back to work", and bringing it "back to its position in the international arena".
He is backed by the General Labour Union -- the country's largest syndicate -- the Mujahedeen Organisation (veterans of the liberation war) together with the National Democratic Rally and Movement for Peaceful Civil Society parties, who are part of the coalition government.
Because candidates must collect 75,000 signatures in 25 out of Algeria's 48 provinces, with a minimum of 1,500 from each one, several candidates pulled out complaining of "administrative terrorism", in the words of Abdul-Qader Merbah, leader of National Republic Rally. In a press conference on Sunday, Merbah told reporters he collected 80,000 signatures, many of which were not approved by the administration, his total dropping to 61,000. To drive his point home, he displayed medical reports that verify his assistants were subject to physical abuse.
"What's happening is a white coup. The president's entourage has exploited the state media to orchestrate coups against political parties," Merbah said.
Merbah's outcry is only the latest in a series of attacks on Bouteflika which began several months ago when the president fell out with Ali Ben Flis, his then prime minister. Flis later launched his own bid for the presidency. The struggle between the two men resonated in Ben Flis's ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) which was historically Bouteflika's party as well, leading to a division among its ranks. Bouteflika's FLN supporters, known as the "correctionists", are lead by Minster of Foreign Affairs Abdul-Aziz Belkhadem. Ben Flis's supporters accused their rivals of influencing the judicial authority that issued court orders obstructing the party's activities.
A front consisting of ten candidates and a prominent activist -- dubbed the "10+1 front against fraud" -- was formed last month with the aim of resisting Bouteflika's machinations and pushing for a fair vote. Most of the front pulled out of the presidential race last week. Two of the candidates who retracted from the vote are former heads of government: Sid-Ahmed Ghazali and Mekdad Seifi, in addition to retired General Rachid Benyelles. This leaves Bouteflika facing seven opposition candidates, including Ben Flis, former Foreign Minister Ahmed Taleb Al-Ibrahimi, Islamist leader Abdullah Jaballah, Said Saadi, head of the Berber Rally for Culture and Democracy, and Louisa Hanoun, spokeswoman of the Trotskyite Worker's Party.
Observers deem Al-Ibrahimi -- a respected national figure with considerable political weight -- and Ben Flis the most serious rivals to Bouteflika. Jaballah, the only Islamist candidate remaining, is expected to win a significant portion of votes. But critics say his chances of winning overall are slim because his party, the Movement for National Reform, does not have the popular base required. The votes of the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) are likely to be divided between Jaballah and Al-Ibrahimi.
The FIS won the 1992 legislative elections that the army subsequently cancelled. This triggered an open civil war that lead to the deaths of more than 100,000 people, most of whom civilians.
In his first comments since making public his re-election bid on Thursday, Bouteflika told some 2,000 supporters on Sunday the crucial vote would be free, fair and transparent. Opposition had accused Bouteflika the same day of using state powers to quash political parties and the judicial system to crack down on critical independent press. The president responded immediately arguing that Algerians "would be free to pick any candidate on 8 April". "If the people really want me to continue to implement my programme, good. If they think otherwise, I'll respect their decision," he said during his candidacy speech at Algiers's largest hotel. "I know that Algerians will freely decide their future."
Bouteflika's critics point to the glowing coverage his visits across Algeria's various provinces receive as state manipulation of the media and an unfair advantage over other candidates. Earlier this month, Bouteflika asked the United Nations, the Arab League, the African Union, the European Parliament and the European Union all to send observers to the election; a move snubbed by critics as a doomed attempt to ensure a free vote. Washington is taking note. A senior US diplomat who was visiting Algeria this week urged the government to ensure free and fair presidential elections, hinting that US-Algerian relations were at stake.
Lorne Craner, US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, ending a three-day visit, said he received assurances the election itself would be conducted fairly, but had concerns about the run-up to the vote. "I come to the end of my visit with some concerns remaining," largely because of crackdowns on Algeria's print media, said Craner. In the upcoming elections, "we will be following events closely in the hope that we can fully realise all the opportunities for expanded bilateral cooperation," he told reporters.
Al-Ibrahimi might have not been responding to Craner's remarks when he gave a press conference the same day explaining why he decided to contest the elections despite the discouraging environment, but he spoke for many nonetheless. "Running for the elections means giving credibility to the process which is closed and its results already programmed in advance," he said. "But how long will this contempt for the people's will last? And is succumbing to those who humiliate us everyday what is expected of us?"
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 678 (Issue No. 26 February - 3 March)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/679/re3.htm