General Salah gets rid of a political competitor from the environment of Ex-President Abdelazi Bouteflika and proves to be the most powerful man in Algeria. But he will lead the country towards democracy?
More than a month has passed since the forced resignation of long-time President Abdelaziz Bouteflika – but the protests in Algeria’s streets do not want to stop. As recently as last Friday, thousands of people in Algiers and other cities went to the streets again, to their displeasure on the floor of political reform, to Express the process. Increasingly becoming a target of the protest movement, the strong man of the country, army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah. “No to the domination of the military”, was read on the Transparent. A Reporter for the French news Agency, AFP, reported that the chants, in which the General directly to the resignation was requested.
It was the eleventh Friday in a row where a large crowd of people in the capital city of Algiers gathered
In the process, it was Salah who moved at the beginning of April after weeks of large demonstrations, the political emergency brake and Bouteflika’s resignation had been forced. Many of the protesters were initially grateful and cheered. But there was, from the start, also warning voices pointing to two fundamental problems: firstly, the army chief, according to the Constitution, not a mandate for the President to sell – not those that are in the population, unpopular, or through the manipulation of elections and artificially in the office. And secondly, General Salah himself is already since decades, itself an integral part of the complex Algerian Power structures, from corrupt businessmen, old party cadres and the military, even if there has been no serious bribery or Enrichment allegations against him.
“Undermining the authority of the army”
On the contrary, It appears as if the General wanted to fight very aware of the reputation of an unflinching corruption fighter and also sympathy points in the population collect. Already in the past weeks, several people from the environment of Ex-President Bouteflika had been arrested, including several of the top industrial. Last Sunday, this fate befell also Bouteflika’s brother and closest Confidant, Said Bouteflika, as well as the two former leading intelligence squad General Mohamed Mediéne, known as “Toufik” and Athmane Tartag, also known as “Bachir”. “Conspiracy against the authority of the state” and “undermining the authority of the army” are Familiar with the allegations against the three Bouteflika -. Hardly anyone in Algiers, doubts that General Salah, the arrests and caused three men.
Army chief Ahmed GAES, Saleh referred to the Elite of the country as a “gang” and wants to hold you accountable
Salah had accused Mediéne before the public, against the popular uprising conspired. In an earlier speech, the General had criticised the “wretched conspiracies of a gang”, the “fraud and misconduct have made to their vocation”. Was meant to be obvious, especially Said Bouteflika and his environment. “All these court proceedings are only an attempt to settle within the system and open accounts with persons, the duty officers long ago as a Secret in retirement were transferred,” says the politically oppositional set a University Professor Ismail Meraaf from Algiers, in an Interview with DW. “Media are staged these steps by the military as part of the fulfillment of the demands of the popular uprising.” Meraaf, however, holds: “Salah was part of the gang and protected!”