Algerian voters apathetic amid claims of election rigging

2007-11-19

With local elections approaching, Algeria's government and political parties are trading accusations of corruption and blame for a potential boycott.

By Said Jameh and Achira Mammeri for Magharebia in Algiers– 19/11/07

[Getty Images] Algeria's political parties fear another election boycott

Widespread apathy exhibited by Algerian voters during campaigning for local elections has led the Ministry of the Interior and 23 participating political parties to trade accusations of corruption and blame for a potential boycott.

The campaign for the November 29th elections began amidst fears of rigging by the administration in favour of parties belonging to the ruling coalition: the National Liberation Front (FLN), the National Rally for Democracy (RND) and the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP). Suspicions mounted when the government refused to create an independent political commission to monitor the elections.

Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni opposed the creation of the overseeing body, claiming it would be a burden on the State. He said if political parties wished to form such a committee they could do so, provided their representatives worked as unpaid volunteers.

According to Zerhouni, the former National Political Committee for Election Monitoring cost the public treasury 300,000 dinars per day, and their budgetary demands for the current elections had ballooned to 800,000 dinars per day. He accused parties of using their participation in this committee for material gain.

The minister said rigging is conducted by parties and not the administration, as the elections law gives parties the right to monitor the voting process from beginning to end by assigning monitors to every polling station.

The government has also blamed parties for the large-scale boycott of elections, due to the "impoverished nature" of the programmes they offer. Furthermore, Mohamed Talbi, Director of Liberties at the Ministry of the Interior, said candidates are not using the public locations reserved by the administration for campaigning purposes.

Talbi said it is up to candidates to market their programmes and attract voters, and that the government had done its job and bears no responsibility for citizens' lack of interest.

The accusations found no favour with party leaders, particularly those in the opposition. Many viewed the Interior Ministry's explanations as an attempt to deflect blame.

Karim Tabou, spokesman for the Socialist Forces Front (FFS), said holding parties responsible for rigging was in fact the start of rigging by the administration in favour of the ruling parties. He accused the interior minister of burying his head in the sand, saying ensuring the fairness of elections remains the responsibility of the administration.

Tabou said he expects a sizable boycott of the local elections, due to the government's refusal to tackle problems of employment, housing and high living costs.

Many candidates have remained enthusiastic in their campaigning, despite national pessimism. Some choose to work neighbourhoods one by one, rather than staging rallies with minimal attendance. Adbenour Bouaoud, an FFS candidate for municipal council, told Magharebia he thought it best to organise neighbourhood meetings with friends, relatives and local residents, "because that is the best way to convince voters to go to the polls".

Many voters feel candidates are only present when they need support, and that campaign promises are nothing more than political merchandise.

"How can they expect me to vote when the parties in the National People's Assembly, especially those in the ruling coalition, rejected all the welfare measures put forward by the opposition during the debates on the budget?" asked Amira, an engineer.

Souhil, a teacher, said parties have shown the limits of their powers. "None of the parties has put forward a real political programme. They're all relying on promises and commitments without bothering to explain how or when they will be fulfilled."

The political mood remains grim, despite attempts by key parties – namely the FLN and the RND – to stimulate interest by enlisting popular musicians to promote them in the streets of localities across the country.