Bouteflika reaffirms commitment to national reconciliation
2008-07-08
In an address to the country's military on Saturday, Algerian President Bouteflika reiterated his commitment to national reconciliation. Analysts give their input on the significance of the speech.
By Achira Mammeri for Magharebia in Algiers – 08/07/08
 [Achira Mammeri] In a widely televised address, President Bouteflika told a military audience last week that the doors of national reconciliation remain open. |
Addressing Algeria's military institutions on Saturday (July 5th), on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of independence, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika insisted that his national reconciliation policy is still active. Despite the voices of critics and the expiration of the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, the doors of forgiveness remain open to terrorists and misguided youths, he said.
"The current situation requires the process of national reconciliation to remain firmly established. We shall not go back on the implementation of this process since it was adopted with the blessing of the Almighty and with the unfailing support of the people," Bouteflika told his audience and viewers throughout the country.
Without naming names, the president denounced "the sceptical and obstinate voices which have been raised and the short-sighted extremist souls who want to put obstacles in the way of a project whose primordial aim was to extinguish the fire of fitna."
The message comes at a time when an increase in violent acts has been claimed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Initially limited to six months, and due to end in August 2006, Bouteflika said that the opportunity to repent would remain open until the end of the security crisis.
"I call on the misguided youth to keep their faith in God and return to the straight and narrow within their families and their homeland. I call on them to play their part in building their country."
The president was careful to insist that the national reconciliation process does not mean that the armed fight against terrorism will be scaled down. "The State will not hesitate to deal with the remnants of criminality and terrorism with force and determination," he said.
Bouteflika's speech received mixed reviews from analysts and the public.
Political analyst Abdelali Rezagui said that in addressing Algeria's military institutions, Bouteflika was calling on the army to support his embattled plan to bring about national reconciliation.
Bouteflika was talking to two parties, Rezagui said. "The first is within the administration, represented by the army; the second is misdirected youths or terrorists, whom he wants to reassure that the doors of forgiveness will remain open despite that fact that the deadline set out in the charter for peace has expired."
Ahmed Ouyahia's recent return to the position of prime minister may also have been a factor in Bouteflika's decision to give the speech. "The president wanted to say that the return of this man, known to be an indomitable eradicator, will not encroach upon the national reconciliation project," the analyst added.
Ouyahia declared in late June that "death awaits terrorists who refuse to lay down their weapons."
Another political analyst and editorial writer, Karim Mohsein, told Magharebia that the president's speech confirms that "national reconciliation is not moving as fast as they would like."
"The public would have liked to hear an assessment of how the project is going, instead of seeing the deadline for repentance extended once more," Mohsein said.
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Omar Posted 2008-07-08
I agree with our President, the doors of peace and reconciliaton must never be shut, like Allah's doors of Touba, Rahma and Baraka are never shut. However the sword of justice must never be put aside at the expense of a "quick fix" peace, without the agreement of all the Algerian people. May Allah help relieve the pains and heal the wounds of all the Algerians who suffered in this tragedy and bless all the innocent souls and martyrs and welcomes them into Paradise wherein they will dwell eternally, and may Allah take revenge on these unrepentant savage terrorists and all the wrongdowers and banish them for good from this life and cast them into the lowest depts of Hell, may Allah bring lasting Peace and Prosperity to Algeria, the land of the Martyrs, Amin.
بومعزة Posted 2008-07-08
Which terrorism are you talking about, Bouteflika? Real terrorism is you and your generals. As regards the Salvation Front, it is the legitimate government of the Algerian people which they have chosen by themselves. Which reconciliation are you talking about? If you really want reconciliation, you must hand in power to the legitimate Salvation Front.
Dziri58 Posted 2008-07-10
To you Boumaza, you and your FIS and your Ali Belhadj et Abbassi Madani are the source of Algeria problems. Your hatred and venom is geered towards the government no matter who is in power, whether Bouteflika or someone else, you will never be satisfied, and the army which has succeeded in keeping our country together and which is made up of sons of Algeria only, yet you call them "Taghoot". You are the real Harkis of today. Your propaganda of accusing every Algerian who does not follow your backward ideologies does not wash well anymore with the Algerian people. You are not only anti Bouteflika or Anti generals you are anti every intellectual and civilised Algerian. If Allah wanted you to govern Algeria, he would have made it possible for you to do so, but instead Allah has made you vanish from sight, praise be to Allah (SWT), Allah even made you lose all support nationally or internationally. Algerians want to have nothing to do with you. They are all behind Abdelaziz Bouteflika who is achieving miracles in our country despite all the problems put in his way by the enemies of the country. He is our Saviour, may Allah preserve him for very long Incha Allah.
محمد الجزائري Posted 2008-07-10
Order and obedience our president.
ابوعبدالله Posted 2008-07-12
Order and obedience to whom my brother? To a president imposed by force? The legitimate president of Algeria is Abbassi Madani, not Bouteflika or anyone else!! Abouabdellah.
Zartout Posted 2008-07-14
We are asking for the death sentence for our reconciliation. You are blind to the fact that terrorism has become the order of the day. They know well that they will be blessed by a president who does not have long to live. He has become old, so for him a pardon is the only solution. Mr President, the Algerians need an iron fist. We are a rebellious people and we do not deserve reconciliation except in the form of decapitation, like in the times of Boumedienne. Rest in peace, as anything that moves will be stricken down by our civil state. It is indeed time! The streets will be clean, without drugs and mafia. Look around! Look at how Algeria has become with these [expletive deleted] politics. Democracy is nor for us Algerians; we need someone who reigns with power. If we had someone like Boumedienne, God rest his soul, then no one would move and this bloodthirsty infidel, Droukdel, would have already been napalmed to dust!
محمد Posted 2008-07-18
To Zartout: what do you mean by this story? Has Algeria become the property of your father? There is no other God but Allah. Yes: Algeria today has become the property of generals and their agents like you. They profit from its resources in abundance without control or rival. But the oppressed people have no power or will to face the military rule. However, the people will triumph and Abbas Madani will come back. Triumph is granted only by God.
Omar Posted 2008-07-19
I agree one hundred percent with Zartout, Algeria needs to be governed with an iron fist. Algerians have had it so good in terms of freedom in the last 18 years or so, especially in comparison to their neighbours or the rest of the Arab world. But this freedom has flourished at the expense of a weak or non-existant justice, which has not been able to cope with the strong tide of crime, corruption, Hogra and off course terrorism, eventually resulting in the lack of protection and security for the ordinary folks and law abiding citizens. This chaotic state that Bouteflika has inherited from the previous one party system and the black decade of the Nineties is the reason why our President need a third term in power, as although he has started the justice reforms and invested heavily in increasing the number of security personnel, his job is not yet finished. He has already managed to wipe out the debts and fill up the coffers and given Algeria the place it deserves internationally in a very short time despite all the obstacles put in his way, miracles indeed. A third term would eventually see him clearing all the dead wood, leeches, vultures and vermin from our society as true justice would be fully functional by then Incha Allah. And true justice means freedom only for those who deserve and appreciate it and the ones who do good in this world. As for the rest, the cheats, the oppressors of the poor (the ones who practice la "Hogra"), and the scum of the earth, the murderers, they should be subjected to the sword of justice and the iron fist.
رابح Posted 2008-07-27
To the brother Omar. By God my brother, your article doesn’t deserve to be read. Where is the democracy and prosperity you are chanting? Listen my dear brother, Bouteflika and his generals imposed on the Algerian society haven’t done anything which deserves esteem. All they did is negative. Do you know that Algeria has today an excess estimated at a hundred millions dollars thanks to the petrol resources granted by God to this people. Don’t tell me that it is thanks to Bouteflika and his team. But despite this, the Algerian people are amongst the poorest Arab nations. So who exploits and benefits from the resources of Algeria? It is the generals, their families and their agents. As to the poor people, only God the Almighty knows their condition. Rabeh.
رابح Posted 2008-07-28
To the brother Omar. By God my brother, your article doesn’t deserve to be read. Where is the democracy and prosperity you are chanting? Listen my dear brother, Bouteflika and his generals that were imposed on the Algerian society haven’t done anything which deserves esteem. All they did is negative. Do you know that Algeria has today an excess estimated at a hundred million dollars, thanks to the petrol resources granted by God to this people? Don’t tell me that it is thanks to Bouteflika and his team. But despite this, the Algerian people are amongst the poorest Arab nations. So who exploits and benefits from the resources of Algeria? It is the generals, their families and their agents. As to the poor people, only God the Almighty knows their condition. Rabeh.
محمد Posted 2008-07-30
We are living with Baya, forget us, stop it. Long live Algeria. We are with you Mr Bouteflika to the end. I say to everyone who said that we don't live in freedom in Algeria, come and judge. Algeria is one of the most audacious countries. Praise be to God.
Omar Posted 2008-07-31
To brother Rabeh, I agree with you that the rich resources that Algeria has been blessed with are granted by Allah (SWT), El hamdou lillah, but the fact that the coffers are full with $126 billion and Algeria is now debt free is due to the good management of our Dearest President Bouteflika, may Allah preserve for a lot longer. I do not understand how people like you can overlook all the big projects that are taking place in our country, including more than one million homes almost completed, motorways, schools, hospitals, universities, dams, water dessalination plants and so on. All this has been done under the gouvernance of Bouteflika and there is more to come Incha Allah, and yes there are still major problems in Algeria, there is poverty, terrorism, corruption at all levels in every sector, but, do not expect that all the problems would be solved in one day as Rome wasn't built in one day. A lot of Algerians are so ungrateful and do not say El hamdou lillah, they forget the recent past and how things have improved today in comparison to yesterday. The majority of them are corrupt and want to get rich quickly without hard work. They are impatient and want things done quickly against God's will and are quite willing to pay "Rashwa" to jump queues in every aspect of life. It is not only the Generals that you mentioned who are also Algerians by the way, that are corrupt, but a big proportion of the population in all sectors, justice, police, administration, etc... This type of people are disease, vermin and scum, they are dirty and lazy. Bouteflika alone can not cure all these society ailements overnight with a magic wand. As for the generals, he has already replaced ninety nine percent of them. So Mr Rabeh, do not talk small, but see the big picture instead. Salam.
amine Posted 2008-08-29
Give us our freedom! Algeria is a beautiful country. Stop playing games with us. Our young people are one of a kind in this world. Long live Algeria! Long live Algeria! Long live Algeria! We hope that one day we can all unite and work for our dearest country.
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