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ALGERIA: Political Consultations

ALGERIA: Political Consultations Are the current negotiations part of an inclusive reform process or a ‘political circus’? Algeria’s hotly debated reform process kicked off in Algiers on May 20th as political leaders met with Senate President and reform commission chair Abdelkader Bensalah to present their ideas. Bensalah was appointed by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to lead the negotiations, but the process has been marred by controversy, with opposition parties boycotting the talks while others denounced the exclusion of union representatives and civil society activists. “What we are asking for today is not to rush into action to pacify the anger on the streets, but to work towards radical answers to the people’s demands, rather than just papering over the cracks,” said former presidential candidate Mohamed Saïd . The consultations involve a number of veteran political operatives, including former president Chadli Benjedid , former chairman of the High Council of State Ali Kafi , former defence minister Khaled Nezzar , and former prime ministers Mouloud Hamrouche, Ali Benflis, Sid Ahmed Ghozali, Mokdad Sifi , and Smail Hamdani . Opposition parties went so far as to describe the process as a political manoeuvre designed to ease social tensions. Former prime minister Sid Ahmed Ghozali , who met with the reform committee on May 21st, said he suspected the government of wanting to “deprive Algerians of their rights in a legal manner, having done so in an illegal manner for some time”. “My criticism of the current government is that they do not abide by the law. They haven’t taken the opportunity to apply the laws and see where they need to be changed,” Ghozali told reporters. The Front of Socialist Forces ( FFS ) labelled the discussions a “political circus”. “Any involvement in these flights of fancy would be synonymous with complicity in the distortion and denial of the will of the people,” read a statement from Said Saidi’s Rally for Culture and Democracy ( RCD ). However, political parties within the presidential alliance have come out in support of the process. “We’ve suggested two areas to study,” said Bouguerra Soltani , head of the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP). “The first is connected to how reforms will be carried out. The priority must be for constitutional reform, before other laws and codes can be reviewed. After all, the Constitution is the basis of all draft laws.” The Islamist El Islah Movement also presented a series of proposals for the “completion of political reforms and mechanisms to bring them about”, according to the party’s Secretary‐General, Djamel Ben Abdeslam . (Magharebia.com 26/5) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

ALGERIA: Political Consultations

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2011
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2011.03855.x
Publisher site
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Abstract

Are the current negotiations part of an inclusive reform process or a ‘political circus’? Algeria’s hotly debated reform process kicked off in Algiers on May 20th as political leaders met with Senate President and reform commission chair Abdelkader Bensalah to present their ideas. Bensalah was appointed by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to lead the negotiations, but the process has been marred by controversy, with opposition parties boycotting the talks while others denounced the exclusion of union representatives and civil society activists. “What we are asking for today is not to rush into action to pacify the anger on the streets, but to work towards radical answers to the people’s demands, rather than just papering over the cracks,” said former presidential candidate Mohamed Saïd . The consultations involve a number of veteran political operatives, including former president Chadli Benjedid , former chairman of the High Council of State Ali Kafi , former defence minister Khaled Nezzar , and former prime ministers Mouloud Hamrouche, Ali Benflis, Sid Ahmed Ghozali, Mokdad Sifi , and Smail Hamdani . Opposition parties went so far as to describe the process as a political manoeuvre designed to ease social tensions. Former prime minister Sid Ahmed Ghozali , who met with the reform committee on May 21st, said he suspected the government of wanting to “deprive Algerians of their rights in a legal manner, having done so in an illegal manner for some time”. “My criticism of the current government is that they do not abide by the law. They haven’t taken the opportunity to apply the laws and see where they need to be changed,” Ghozali told reporters. The Front of Socialist Forces ( FFS ) labelled the discussions a “political circus”. “Any involvement in these flights of fancy would be synonymous with complicity in the distortion and denial of the will of the people,” read a statement from Said Saidi’s Rally for Culture and Democracy ( RCD ). However, political parties within the presidential alliance have come out in support of the process. “We’ve suggested two areas to study,” said Bouguerra Soltani , head of the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP). “The first is connected to how reforms will be carried out. The priority must be for constitutional reform, before other laws and codes can be reviewed. After all, the Constitution is the basis of all draft laws.” The Islamist El Islah Movement also presented a series of proposals for the “completion of political reforms and mechanisms to bring them about”, according to the party’s Secretary‐General, Djamel Ben Abdeslam . (Magharebia.com 26/5)

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series – Wiley

Published: Jun 1, 2011

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