Algerian presidential campaign officially launched
2009-03-19
From now until the presidential elections on April 9th, Algerians will see six candidates battle for their vote on TV, in print and in person.
By Hayam El Hadi and Mona Sadek for Magharebia in Algiers – 19/03/09
 [Getty Images] Algerian voters have three weeks to decide how to cast their vote. |
The electoral campaign in Algeria started officially on Thursday (March 19th), giving candidates until April 6th to convince voters and collect enough support to win the race.
From now through the end of the campaign, Algerians will see more of their presidential candidates. They will listen to their platforms; weigh their backgrounds and achievements and challenge their promises with everyday reality. Voters have until the polls open on April 9th to make up their minds.
The national political committee, which is tasked with monitoring the elections, has randomly picked time slots for candidates to appear on national TV and radio stations and address the nation. Each of the six candidates will have daily five-minute appearances between 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., said Mohamed Teguia, head of the committee.
Also, the committee reserved more than 3,000 meeting rooms around the country for the candidates to meet voters and address them directly.
For the first time, the special polling stations traditionally reserved for corporate entities have been done away with.
The government is also keen to guarantee transparent and honest elections, said interior minister Yazid Zerhouni. In a news conference on Tuesday, Zerhouni said that, unlike in previous elections, no special polling stations will be reserved for students or soldiers. Instead, soldiers and employees will vote in their nearest polling stations.
"The electoral code guarantees transparency," Zerhouni said in the news conference, responding to criticism from voters. "Candidates have the right to nominate representatives to check the whole electoral process," he added.
If the candidate opted to delegate monitors, they will be able to be present at the polling stations, check lists of voters and receive copies for their files.
In the pursuit of transparency, the government will also allow foreign observers into polling stations, Zerhouni said. The Arab League is sending 84 observers, the African Union will send 100, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference will send six and the UN will dispatch six.
The government budgeted six billion dinars for the elections, to pay for 47,150 polling stations for voters, including 243 mobile stations and 330 more overseas.
Still, many Algerians remain sceptical.
"I'm expecting Bouteflika to be around for a third and fourth term," said Mourad, 30, a security guard in a private school.
"What's the point of elections?" Mounir wondered. "They didn't ask our opinion about reforming the constitution to allow the president to stand for a third term; now we have to vote to make the president king for life."
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عبدالغني Posted 2009-03-20
We are now experiencing a political failing and the era of demagogues as we are building castles with our tongues and destroy a heritage and history with our acts. We destroy more than we build. As to the articles of some authors, they are limited according to their wishes sometimes as if they impose on you with their writings to accept the words they say as do our Arab rulers. Everything is imposed whether you like it or not. We are mainly suffering from a crisis of freedom in a narrow Arab promenade which it should not exceed otherwise your members will be paralyzed, in order to change, we have to wash every moment may be the rot of our times is removed and disappears but this is the most difficult thing. You have all the consideration.
علي خمحم Posted 2009-03-22
What do young people expect from president Abdelaziz Bouteflika? The province of Tamanrasset has benefited from many development projects. This includes the project of dragging water from Ain Saleh to the province of Tamanrasset. This project was dubbed the project of the century. It offers important job opportunities to young people in addition to other development projects and job openings announced recently as well as building houses. But unfortunately, young people did not benefit from all this. Young people in the province are besieged. Even professional workers are hired from other regions while young people in the province endure unemployment. Residents in slum houses in fragile streets did not benefit from the restoration of their houses even if they have been living in these streets for over thirty years. I state here as an example Ankouf which is not far from the headquarters of the province, just a few meters far from it. Its residents do not have drinking water. I fear that when water is supplied to the province of Tamnarasset, God willing, these poor people won’t benefit from it. We thank the president of the republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika for providing and keeping his promises of building the university centre which we hope will offer jobs in future to local workers unlike what happened recently and projects of housing…But we say to the president this has not benefited young people. This is because young people and residents in the province are besieged. The official in charge is unable to do anything in the face of violations in the province of Tamanrasset including marginalisation while the local elected members are unable to do anything. So we hope that you will urgently interfere to put an end to this situation before it explodes. We want from His Excellency the president the following things: assigning to completed projects and administrations local workers including university graduates and local young people who have qualifications. Heads of services should be from the province, heads of districts should be also from the province. Consider the educational sector in the province. We support His Excellency the president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
حميد Posted 2009-03-24
Salam alikum. I am an Algerian young man. I believe in hope and aspire to progress and development under the present conditions of security, political and civil stability. We acknowledge that president Abdelaziz Bouteflika contributed hugely to establishing security and stability. But I say, is there national reconciliation? What is national reconciliation? It is reconciliation between two parties within national principles. But forgiving and pardoning those who were in the mountains while on the other hand putting the suspect in prison, no. We hope, Mr President, that you consider political prisoners. It defies belief that you would pardon the holder of a gun and put in prison a suspect charged with failure to notify. Believe me, I know people who have been imprisoned for over three years without trial. I say without trial. There is no power and no will but from God the Almighty. I hope Mr the president that you consider prisoners so that this national reconciliation is achieved. God grants success. Thank you.
boudjanouia Posted 2009-03-28
To every Algerian who is concerned and aspires to freedom in his country; to every Algerian who loves justice and equality; to every individual who loves the progress and development of his country, to every person who loves to live in the dignity endowed by God the Almighty; to all those who love the right; I say to all those people this country is not the property of anyone. It is the house of all Algerians. For all these reasons and for all other principle causes, power should move to those who deserve it, who make justice and fear God in His creatures. Oh people, rebel instead of doing your services with bribery and favoritism. Give the legacy to its owners. If you don't find them, so to those who deserve it. Trust your affairs to God the Almighty. Don't give your vote to someone who doesn't deserve it. Your voice is a legacy; you will be accountable for it on the day of judgment. Authority in this country should move to the people of science and intellect; there are many of them. Algeria today has huge educated human resources. It is not a sterile woman who didn't give birth to any children. It gave birth to rebels and builders as well.
boudjanouia Posted 2009-03-28
If the door is open to specialists, learned and intellectual people, they will be chosen by the people with merit. However, the monopoly of power has weakened the people in expressing their opinion. Resort to God for our rights which were lost...
Anonymous Posted 2009-04-06
Hey everybody These elections are nothing but an umpteenth mascarade prepared by the Algeria shadow government to refurbish the democratic façade. Corruption is at evry nook and crany, and poverty, illegal immigration of hundreds of young Algerians, political and economic corruption, have more than doubled during the apolcalyptic reign of Bouteflika. Under his ten years of reign, many journalists were arrested and put to jail: Benchicou, for example. Many books were prohibited. What's more, favouritism and nepotism have never been so omnipresent as in his reign! Worse enough, billions of Dinars have been stolen by the army generals and their relatives as well as friends! The Constitution has been amended by the military hierarchy without the people's consent and without referndum in order to grant Bouteflika a life-long mandate. In return, the latter will protect their economic interest and cover up their crimes from 1992 to 2000 !All these dictatorial practices happen with the conivence of the French "democratic" government and the silence of many European countries, whose sole concern is to protect their enconomic interests. I hope that you will prepare many articles to disclose those machiavelic and anti-democratic modes of governance, and let the international community know what is really happening in my country because of the military and totalitarian rule.
سماح من الجزائر Posted 2009-04-08
As Algerians, we must vote because we will be accountable. Therefore, we must give our votes to the candidate who deserves them and will change the country for the best.
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