For weeks, thousands of Algerians go around the country on the road and prevented a fifth term in office, the 82-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for the first time. However, after this first victory, everything remains uncertain.
Protesters hope for a recovery of Algeria from the corrupt System
The demands of the Algerians are reminiscent of the Arab spring: the long-time commander-in-chief Abdelaziz makes Bouteflika should withdraw, fair elections should be held, the Constitution to be amended, and, finally, deep reforms are initiated. The mass protests in Algeria’s power structure triggered an earthquake. The seriously ill President had not released Monday evening in a written statement on the state media to announce that he will enter in. As a result, the Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia had submitted his resignation. Many Algerians celebrate this retreat as a victory. Others are skeptical of whether Bouteflika’s proposals will bring a real change.
A Algerians celebrating the announcement of withdrawal of the same after twenty years
In his Letter to the Nation Bouteflika also stated that the for the 18. April scheduled presidential election was cancelled, as the state news Agency APS reported. A national conference is to advise by the end of 2019 about reforms and the Constitution review. The former Minister of the interior Noureddine Bedoui was in charge of a government reshuffle. At this conference, all political and social groups to participate. The result should then be the people submitted. It goes to the presidential Palace the next elections should be held only after that. Up to this point, Bouteflika remains in office, and monitors the “process of Transformation of our state”, as stated in his Letter to the population.
The response of the people is clear and is also reflected in the digital world. Under the Hashtag “#No extension of the fourth term,” protest, many of the Algerians against Bouteflika’s Plan. However, they also went on the road today.
Also, middle East expert Gudrun Harrer from the University of Vienna, fearing that the protesters with this Plan the same will not be satisfied: “The cheering was great, because it was thought it is a significant step. For him, it is definitely a great. But Bouteflika is not for a long time. He remains in office, the fourth term will be extended. So you can’t be satisfied, because there are no real Commitments for the future.”
Bouteflika’s Heritage
State President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 1999 came to Power and the longest serving President of Algeria since independence in 1962.
An Algerian student calls for, among other things, the end of corruption in your country
Even if today, several thousands of Algerians against Bouteflika protest, he was once hailed as a national hero. He took part in the war of liberation and ascended with only 26 years of age from the Minister of tourism to Minister of foreign Affairs. Bouteflika is regarded as a clever politician and tactician. The end of the civil war, the national Assembly and its action against the Islamist terrorist belonging to his greatest Verdi.
However, his political successes were a long time ago. His last public appearance was six years ago. Since a stroke he is in a wheelchair, has speech problems and lives as a recluse in his Palace. When he returned only a day before his resignation announcement from a hospital stay in Geneva to Algiers, the 82-Year-old is only a shadow of its former self-have been, and, increasingly, to have respiratory problems.
Growing Resistance
It seems as if the support of Bouteflika’s waning in many Parts of the country slowly. Because the resistance is not only limited to protests on the streets. The Algerian military has expressed his sympathy for the protesters. The state TV channel “Ennahar”, – quotes the chief of the General staff GAES Salah with the following words: “The military and the people have the same vision of the future.” More than 1,000 Algerian judges have banded together and put up in public at the side of the protesters.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, moves the election to an uncertain time. As long as he remains in office.
Opposition politician Ahmed Azimi Bouteflika’s promise holds for a joke. Bouteflika would have to resign if he was really ready to make a change, he says. “How to be the former Minister of the interior Noureddine Bedoui-in-chief of this national conference, if he Algerians to us only a week ago, the right of Assembly has been agreed? “Azimi is concerned, because he suspects that the System remains in existence. The power gap would be filled by forces of the system. Which will result in no changes, because they had in the last twenty years, he said in the Arabic program of the DW.
Three great Player
There is a great lack of transparency in the politics of Algeria. “Who reacts really, you do not know. Whether Bouteflika makes decisions or who is other is unclear,” said Harrer. It is certain, however, that Abdelaziz Bouteflika is only one component in the power structure in Algeria. “Le Pouvoir,” the Power is in the hands of the government, of the secret service and the military.
This makes the circle of family members, military leaders, business people and elites around the President is benefiting from the money of the state Treasury, and the profits from the oil. Corruption and waste of public funds to reach extreme proportions. Especially the young population of 40 million inhabitants, suffers from a lack of job opportunities and life prospects.
The Regime in Algeria is trying to win with the response to the mass protests of the time, to form the Power. It is completely unclear what is being negotiated behind the Scenes, a University Professor Harrer. This proposed national conference, compares them with a smoke grenade. “You want to give the impression that it is doing something. The fear of many that the military enforces. It could be that just the facade is changing.”