ANSD : Algeria war veterans demand end to Bouteflika’s rule

FRI 19 - 4 - 2024

Date: Mar 7, 2019
Source: The Daily Star

Folder: Elections

Algeria war veterans demand end to Bouteflika’s rule

France FM says watching elections closely

_Reuters
ALGIERS: Algerian war veterans said that protesters demanding ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika step down after 20 years in power had legitimate concerns and they urged all citizens to demonstrate - another sign of cracks in the ruling elite. The ongoing unrest poses the biggest challenge yet to Bouteflika and his inner circle which includes members of the military and intelligence services and businessmen.

“It is the duty of Algerian society in all its segments to take to the streets,” the influential National Organization of Mujahideen - veterans who once fought alongside Bouteflika in the 1954-1962 war of independence against France - said late Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of people have rallied in cities around Algeria in the largest protests since the 2011 “Arab Spring,” calling on Bouteflika, 82, not to stand in an election scheduled for April 18.

He submitted papers Sunday.

Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gaed Salah reiterated Wednesday that the military would not allow a breakdown in security.

“We are committed to providing safe conditions that ensure that Algerians fulfill their electoral duties,” the private Ennahar television statement quoted him as saying.

After renewed protests Tuesday, Algeria was largely quiet Wednesday apart from one demonstration in the town of Bejaia.

Some officials from Bouteflika’s ruling FLN party have turned up at demonstrations. Several public figures have announced their resignations in a country where personnel changes normally take place behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, two branches of the powerful Algerian labor union UGTA, representing tens of thousands of workers, said in a statement Wednesday that they oppose Bouteflika’s plan to seek re-election.

UGTA national Chairman Abdel-Madjid Sidi Said is a close ally of President Bouteflika.

An anonymous call for a general strike has gone largely unheeded but the leadership faces another test - an online call for a “March of 20 Million” this Friday.

Older Algerians still haunted by the civil war in the ’90s have tolerated crackdowns on dissent in exchange for stability. But young protesters have no real connection to the war of independence that gives Algeria’s elderly leaders their credentials and, desperate for jobs, have lost patience.

Protesters have praised the military, which has stayed in barracks throughout the unrest. But analysts and former officials say the generals are likely to intervene if the protests lead to widespread instability in the country, one of the African continent’s biggest oil producers.

Bouteflika, in office since 1999, said Sunday he would run in the April 18 poll but call early elections to find a successor after holding a national conference to discuss reforms and a new constitution.

He has not spoken in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. He remains at a hospital in Geneva for medical checks.

In Paris, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday that France was watching the situation in its former colony closely but it was for Algerians to decide their future.

We have to let the electoral process develop and France, given our historical links, is very attentive,” Le Drian told lawmakers.

With more than 4 million people of Algerian origin in France, any upheaval across the Mediterranean would have a serious impact there. French officials fear an influx of refugees as well as a potential security crisis.

France FM says watching Algeria elections closely

_Reuters
PARIS: France is watching closely the anti-government protests in former colony Algeria, but it is for Algerians to decide their future, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of people have rallied in cities around Algeria in the largest protests since the 2011 "Arab Spring," calling on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, not to stand in an election scheduled for April 18.

He submitted his registration papers Sunday.

"We must let the electoral process unfold," Le Drian told lawmakers. "France, obviously, because of our historical links ... is very attentive to the unfolding events."

Late Tuesday, Algerian war veterans said the protesters demanding ailing Bouteflika step down after 20 years in power had legitimate concerns and urged all citizens to demonstrate, in another sign of cracks in the ruling elite.

France is home to more than 4 million people of Algerian origin and any upheaval in the north African country would have repercussions in France.

"This is why the stability, security and development of Algeria are absolutely essential," Le Drian said, calling on demonstrations to remain peaceful.

Readers Comments (0)

Add your comment

Enter the security code below*


Can't read this? Try Another.