The Algerian President, Bouteflika has declared that it will soon withdraw. On Sunday, a new Cabinet was formed. That should appease the protest movement. However, the Algerians continue to go on the road.
First, he had appointed a new government, now, the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, said that before the end of his regular term of office on the 28. To want April back. Until then, the 82 will take-Year-old “measures”, the operation of the state authorities during a transition phase, to ensure, it said in a on Monday by the state news Agency APS statement released by the presidential office. Before Bouteflika had declared to want for a further, fifth, term of office, not a candidate; he is, since 1999, the country.
Already on Sunday had formed a transitional Cabinet, that Algeria should lead to a new Era, the period after Bouteflika. Thus, the old President wanted to meet, apparently, the demands of the population to a political renewal.
So far, however, the many Algerians who go for weeks on the road show, the decision was not impressed. “The demonstrations will not stop,” was their message, behind the they gathered immediately after the announcement of the new Cabinet.
“The new government extended the crisis”
Significantly, the demonstrators gave to understand that the new government is to your taste. Bothers you that six of the 27 members of the new Cabinet had already been a member of the old government. The other, newly appointed Minister to apply them primarily as members of a Nomenklatura, whose rule you want to overcome. The new head of government Noureddine Bedoui had formed the Cabinet in less than three weeks – one for Algerian standards extremely short period of time. Nevertheless, he stands in the eyes of many Algerians are not a convincing change.
Symbol of change? The new Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui
“We don’t trust the new government that it will be able to renew the country fundamentally. Rather, we fear, you could prolong the current crisis,” says Mustafa Bushashi, former President of the “Algerian League for the defence of human rights”: “we went out on the streets, because we don’t want to accept that the representatives of this corrupt regime continue to be politically present.”
The protesters Believe that the new Cabinet could make the transition time is lacking, he explains. “We doubt that a government, which stands in so close connection to the old Regime, will be able to organize elections. Therefore, you will be able to the population is not convinced that the Regime responds to the demands of the protesters seriously.”
Ministerial posts? No, thank you
Bedoui had promised to form a young men and women, existing the Cabinet of Ministers. This project is from the point of view of the protesters begin to be implemented. The new government includes five women, the rest of the Ministerial posts are occupied by men. Also the attempt to rejuvenate the government, meets the critics only to a limited extent. In this case, the age is an important variable, given a population, half of which is younger than 30 years.
For the change: a Demonstration in Algiers, 29. March 2019
In the context of the President you have to certainly demonstrate a degree of political flexibility, presumed to be the Algeria-expert Isabelle Werenfels of the Berlin Foundation “science and politics”. The attempt was but a matter of a failure, because many had been rejected by those who were invited in the government. “In Algiers, it is said, for the Ministry of culture, dozens of people had been asking. No one wanted to accept the Post. This rumor should be true then this explains how it came to filling the Cabinet posts.”
A Political Power Struggle
How tense the Situation in the political Algeria currently is, points to the fact that on Sunday, the businessman Ali Haddad, a Confidant of Bouteflika, was arrested. Twelve of the corruption suspected of entrepreneurs have been deprived of their passports. The Algerian Public speculating now about whether or not there is a connection with the reorganization of the Cabinet.
Many Algerians doubt that Bouteflika still has influence on the Cabinet formation. “It is striking that large parts of the the President and his brother Said associated economic elite, arrest warrants have been issued,” says Isabelle Werenfels. This could suggest, that around the President, a power struggle had broken out. “It seems that wool here, a group off another political. There is little doubt that these people were corrupt. But it’s not just the single. It has been specifically taken a bearing to target.”
Last official working days off premises: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, here is a picture from April 2014
Farewell to the back-room politics
Doubt on the new Cabinet of Ministers was also chief of the General staff Ahmed Salah. He had proposed a few days ago, to explain the 82-year-old President Bouteflika for amtsunfähig. The Algerians estimate that the army held back with further demands, and no signs of leaving, continue to intervene in the political process. However, they are now amazed that Salah joined this Cabinet. “Many Algerians find it absurd that someone can be nominated by the President, who had previously advocated to explain this President unfit for work,” said Werenfels.
After all, the chief of the General staff has brought movement in the Algerian center of power. So far, changes have been negotiated there, rather discreet. Now the Algerian Public, indicates that she wants to see these negotiations in the future on the open stage of negotiation.