Algeria: Some electoral statistics

According to government sources the electoral roll, which cannot be  accessed by candidates or electoral monitors for reasons of “data  protection” (see below, fraud), listed 22,880,678 voters of which  21,871,678 are registered in Algeria while 1,009,000 are registered  as living abroad. The authorities mobilised 11,756 polling centres and 49,971 polling stations, including 167 mobile stations. 398 of these polling stations were abroad.

Some 460,000 civil servants were mobilised to officiate at the elections. Polling centres and stations were open from 8 am to 7 pm. Wallis had the discretion to open one hour earlier and extend voting by one hour.

Algerians abroad could vote from last Saturday up until Thursday. Nomads in remote areas (e.g. Tamanrasset, Illizi, Adrar) could vote at 167 mobile stations between Monday and Thursday. Some 59,000 nomads are involved. Bouteflika cast his vote at El Biar in Algiers and was helped into the polling station in a wheel-chair. It was the first time he has appeared in public since his election address at Setif on 8 May 2012 which is almost two years ago. 

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2014 Menas Associates

French foreign minister visits Algiers

 

France's Foreign Minister Manuel Valls arrived in Algiers on Saturday 13 October on a two-day visit. He was met at Algiers?s Houari Boumédienne Airport by counterpart Daho Ould Kablia. During his stay he met with several of Algeria's senior ministers, including Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci and Minister of Religious Affairs Bouabdellah Ghlamallah. Valls' visit came before President Hollande's admission of the October 1961 massacre of Algerians and there have been no indications as to whether he gave the Algiers regime any indication of what Hollande mwas to say.

Virtually nothing has been divulged about the purpose of the visit or the content of the talks held, other than platitudinous remarks in press in which Valls hailed the “excellent” cooperation between Algeria and France in anti-terrorism and what he described as the “flawless” commitment of the Algerian authorities in that regard.

It is widely believed that the main purpose of his visit was to discuss the Mali situation. Although Valls stressed his agreement with Algeria on the importance of Mali?s territorial unity and the danger of terrorism in that country, France and Algeria are fundamentally at odds over how to resolve the crisis. While France is at the forefront in pushing for international military intervention and is offering military logistical support for such an intervention, Algeria is strongly opposed to any such intervention, arguing instead for a political situation. Valls said, on his departure on Monday 15 October, that France supported “all political processes that would allow Mali to preserve its territorial integrity.”

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2012 Menas Associates

Algeria: Constitutional problems

President Abselaziz Bouteflika's absence has given rise to a number of constitutional problems. One of these is that he has been unable to appoint a new president of the Conseil constitutionnel algérien (Constitutional Council), following the expiry of the mandate of the octogenarian Boualem Bessaih.

A second problem centres on his immediate replacement if Bouteflika were to die or be removed from office under Clause 88 of the Constitution. In such an eventuality the leader of the Senate takes over temporarily as president. Abdelkader Bensalah is an Algerian by naturalisation and not by birth, however, and is therefore constitutionally unable to take the office of president.

It was earlier announced that Bensalah, who had been appointed by Bouteflika in May to head his constitutional reform committee, was to step down and be replaced as leader of the Senate. Bensalah was to take over as chairman of the Constitutional Council following the expiry of Bessaih's mandate. He was being strongly tipped at that time to be replaced as leader/speaker of the Senate by Abderrazak Bouhara.

When we reported these changes in August, it was anticipated that they would come into effect around the end of September. One consequence of Bouteflika's ill health is that these appointments may not have come into effect. The opinion of our sources is that they have not yet done so. If this is the case then the country could be faced with something of a constitutional problem.

A third problem, although one with less serious consequences, is that Bouteflika, in his capacity as President of the Judicial System, has not been able to start the 'judicial year', which, in terms of the constitution, should have been done about three weeks ago.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Algeria: New media bill still restricts freedoms

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) says Algeria's new legislation does not liberate the media or give it the freedom of expression it deserves. On Monday 3rd October, ANHRI released a statement saying the new media bill endorsed by the Algerian Ministers Council goes some way towards abolishing the imprisonment penalty for journalists, but the wording of the bill itself, along with the severe fines which replace jail time, still restricts freedoms.

The bill was promised by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika as a measure of reform in order to quell protests against his rule. The protesters called for a number of other things, including the end to the state of emergency, which they've been demanding since the demonstrations began in February.

The media bill also covers the establishment of independent news satellite channels and/or radio stations, which are presently forbidden. Many have hoped that this would prove a step in the right direction. A film consultant at the Ministry of Culture Amed Bedjaoui welcomed the measure saying “for once, Algeria is no longer appearing on the international front pages with news about terrorism. The whole world is seeing this new openness in Algeria in a positive light”.

The new bill, however, stipulates several restrictions in regards to the formation of any independent news channel. Additionally, private newspapers are also expected to now be granted permission by the Authority Control for Publications.

Chairman of the Algerian Human Rights League (LADDH) Boudjemaâ Ghachir warned people not to be fooled. He said: “Once you get under the rather attractive wrapping, the present itself is poison.”

According to ANHRI, freedom of expression remains tightly controlled, despite the abolishment of imprisonment for any indiscretion or contention. The fines for any such offence range from €300 to €5000, an extortionate sum which the journalist must pay themselves, rather than it be paid by their employers. The salary of the average journalist working in Algeria is about €200, which according to ANHRI is set low so to deter them from writing about controversial issues for fear of having to pay a penalty.

The bill also restricts journalistic freedom in writing about every aspect of life such as state security, economic problems, public service, cultural and so forth. It also grants the authorities the right to “to punish a journalist or a newspaper when they cross the lines.”

ANHRI concluded: “Freedom is indivisible and cannot be granted from someone to another. It is a human right for all. Hence, the Algerian authorities should not provide half-solutions in an attempt to diffuse the revolutionary spirit experienced by the Arab region. Instead, they should provide genuine and complete reform ensuring public freedoms.”

Sources: BM, Reuters, AllAfrica

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

Algeria: President Bouteflika meets his ministers

Since 2nd August, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has held individual meetings with ministers, a regular summer tradition in which officials essentially show off the progress of their projects. As usual, an official summary of the meetings is distributed to the local press. In the context of this year's social upheaval, it has been particularly important that the president demonstrates progress on social development, security and wider reform, and, as a result, the exercise has turned into a public relations drive. Some of the negative aspects of ministries' work, particularly those touched by corruption scandals, have been bypassed.

Bouteflika congratulated public works minister Amar Ghoul on the “great achievements” in his sector. “The progress made in the road, airport and ports infrastructure has contributed to the process of national development,” said Bouteflika. There was no mention of the corruption scandals, costing errors and delays that have hit some major projects in the sector, notably the east-west motorway scandal, which is still making its way through the courts.

Despite the publicity around the ministerial meetings, no images of Bouteflika with his ministers were published, prompting suggestions that he was too frail to be pictured.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Algeria: More self-immolations

There were at least two or possibly three further attempts at self-immolation last weekend. One of them was a woman from Bechar who was following a man, her father, the previous week who has now reportedly died.

These latest two were in Souk Ahras where the man was excluded from social housing. The reasons for the second case, a woman in the El Tarf region (700 km east of Algiers) are not clear. She has 60 per cent burns and is in the Annaba Hospital.

On Friday 1st July, a 17 year-old youth tried to immolate himself in front of the police station at Theniet el Had in the Tissemsilt region (280 km SW of Algiers). Again, the media explanation was not very clear.

Since January, when attempts at self-immolation in Algeria began to become commonplace, El Watan has now recorded at least 60 attempts. That is an average of more than two a week. The number of fatalities is unknown.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Algeria: More infighting among the regime

Our sources in Algeria have confirmed that infighting among clans has got noticeably worse in the last week or so. We can, of course, speculate that this has something to do with the decline in the president's health. Our sources explained, however, that it is because the clans cannot agree on how to make the urgently needed political changes while at the same time ensuring they retain power.

We are also hearing reports that more and more young officers are criticising both of the major clans; by which we understand that to mean the presidency and the DRS. We would certainly not go so far as to suggest that this indicates the making of a military coup. Nevertheless, the longer the situation drags on without any meaningful decisions coming out of the regime, the greater the build-up of frustration across what is a highly professional, educated and potentially powerful 'middle-rank' officer class.

Algeria has more than enough precedents for army officers to effect a coup d'état, and there are many Algerians who see such a coup as the most straightforward way of ridding the country of a thoroughly decrepit, illegitimate and corrupt regime before it does the country more lasting damage.

In neighbouring Niger, it took a handful of army officers, one in particular, precisely 12 months to affect a military coup, oust President Mamadou Tandja, hold a referendum on a new constitution and return the country to a full-blown, democratically elected civilian government. This is a remarkable achievement by African standards; and one that could easily be emulated in Algeria.

In fact, even within the administration, more and more people are openly questioning whether the current situation is tenable. Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia is “definitely showing all the signs of living on another planet”, to quote one opposition figure, and is creating more trouble for the regime every time he speaks, with even his political friends being openly critical of his interventions.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Algeria: Belkhadem's 'dinosaur' views on constitutional reform

State Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem, who is secretary general of the National Liberation Front ( FLN) and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's special envoy, has come to represent the most 'out of touch' or 'dinosaur' thinking within the regime. From a number of interviews this week we can get a fairly clear line on his thinking. In a statement which could be interpreted as patronising or simply 'out of touch', he said that the political initiatives of the opposition, which he did not specify, civil society organisations, which also went unnamed, and political figures, whom he didn't mention, “show healthy political practice and pluralism in Algeria”. It seems that he is saying that all the discussion about politics in Algeria is indicative of the fact that it is in a state of good health. In short, it doesn't need changing.

Coming on the current discussion about political and constitutional change, Belkhadem was quoted as saying that the FLN , is against the idea of the dissolution of the parliament and early general elections. One fairly obvious reason for that, which Belkhadem didn't mention, is that the FLN would have a good chance of being sent to electoral oblivion.

In a clear reflection of his essentially anti-democratic views, he was also quoted as saying that he rejected establishing a constitutional council that would gather representatives of political forces in the country. He tried to clarify this statement by saying that such proposals would deny all the achievements made since the independence in 1962. It is, of course, very difficult to pin-point just what achievements the country has made since 1962.

Given its huge natural wealth, for which the government cannot really take credit, many would argue that the regime has turned Algeria into the region's most misgoverned, corrupt and repressive country. And yet, almost in the next phrase, Belkhadem said that "we endorse the proposal of proceeding to a radical revision to the constitution." The key word is 'radical'.

It seems that Belkhadem's and the FLN 's understanding of 'radical' is not what most people would have in mind.

If, however, there was any hint in any of the above statements that Belkhadem might see some urgency in the need to act on Algeria's current political situation, it was clearly ruled out in an interview he gave last Monday to the Arabic daily Wakt El Djazair when he said that constitutional reform could be looked at after the legislation and local elections of 2012. Some might think that that could be a little too late!

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Algeria: Interior minister admits 'secret prisons'

Last Thursday 25th February, on Channel 3 of Algeria's national radio, Interior Minister Ould Kablia spoke of the existence of secret prisons, “run by the military intelligence services [DRS]”. In trying to demonstrate what sort of changes the lifting of the Emergency Powers would bring, Kablia admitted that: “the intelligence services, particularly the military have often been accused of detaining people for indefinite periods without the knowledge of either authorities, their families or their lawyers.” With the lifting of the state of emergency, this practice will now end. Things will change regarding the treatment of those taken into detention, said Kablia. “Now, people will only be placed under such surveillance under the aegis of a judicial authority, with the guarantee of a fair hearing and with access to their lawyers and visitors .”

This statement is political dynamite. It is an open and public admission that Algeria lied to the UK about ita secret prisons. It is also an admission that Algeria has continually lied to the various international organisations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others regarding its prison conditions.

Perhaps Ould Kablia's next step will be to confirm that Algeria 'no longer does torture' and to explain the whereabouts of the 6,000 who have ' disappeared' at the hands of his regime. Kablia's admission is likely to have serious consequences for the many pending legal appeals by Algerians in European countries, notably the UK, against their expulsion and return to Algeria.

UK, more than any other Western country, and in the face of overwhelming evidence presented by human rights lawyers and organisations, has gone along with Algeria's lies. Kablia has effectively told UK's Crown Prosecution Service that his country has lied in its previous undertakings and that such agreements, on which the expulsion of many Algerians hinge, are not worth the paper they are written on.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Iran's new ambassador welcomed by Bouteflika

On Sunday 6th February, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika met Iran's new ambassador to Algiers, Mahmoud Mohammadi. In his welcoming speech, Bouteflika threw Algeria's weight behind Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Bouteflika went on to say that Iran and Algeria share common positions on the main global issues, and expressed his country's resolve to strengthen bilateral ties and to consult with Iran in international organisations and bodies.

Bouteflika also noted that Iran has established amicable relations with Muslim countries, stressing that it had never attacked another country. Mohammadi, for his part, said that Iran was committed to strengthening ties with Algeria in all fields.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

France's Telecom indicates interest in 'Djezzy'

France Telecom's CEO Stephane Richard said this week that France Telecom may enter Algeria as part of its planned expansion in emerging markets. Richard told reporters in Paris that he was looking to orient France Telecom toward fast-growing countries in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia to offset its stagnant domestic revenues.

France's largest phone company was monitoring developments in Algeria, where it could seek a presence either through existing operator Djezzy or other means, Richard said.

“Algeria is a potentially interesting market, and we will see what happens with Djezzy,” whose parent company Orascom Telecom Holding is currently locked in a dispute with the Algerian government, Richard said.

The current situation with Djezzy is that the Algerian government is reported to be planning to buy Djezzy, possibly in cooperation with a foreign partner, and is seeking advice on a valuation, while Orascom is saying that it will seek international arbitration to contest Algeria's demands to pay more than US$800 million in back taxes and restrictions on transferring money abroad from Algeria. Richard also said that no discussions on entering Algeria are under way.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

Algeria to set up a state mining group

Algeria's Energy and Mines Minister Youcef Yousfi has said that Algeria is going to set up a mining group to consolidate state-owned assets. The move is part of a bigger plan by the government to give a greater role to domestic firms and create a state monopoly in the most lucrative sectors of the economy.

"We will create a mines group. There is a huge development programme for this sector," said Yousfi during a conference in Algiers.

GMA Resources and Terramin Australia are two of the biggest foreign investors in Algeria, since Algiers opened the sector to foreign investment in 2001. The country's mining sector is largely undeveloped, but it is potentially attractive to foreign investors due to the country's proximity to European markets.

In the last couple of years, Algeria has launched several licensing rounds inviting foreign firms to acquire mining concession in partnership with domestic companies. The Algeria law stipulates that the stake a foreign company can hold in any one investment is limited at 49 per cent.

Source: Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

UK working closely with Algeria on counter-terrorism

Following the announcement by British MP Alistair Burt at the end of his two-day visit of to Algiers on 11-12th November, the second meeting of the UK Algerian joint committee on counter-terrorism met in London for two full days of talks on 29-30th November.

Burt, who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), with responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa and counter terrorism, spoke effusively to the media during his visit to Algiers three weeks ago about UK-Algerian cooperation in counterterrorism.

The first, somewhat tentative meeting of the bilateral committee was held on 16-17th March 2010. The end of November meeting in London was the first full-blown 'operational' meeting of the two 'countries' delegations.

The Algerian delegation was headed by President Bouteflika's counterterrorism advisor and envoy Kamal Razzak Bara. The UK delegation was headed by the FCO's Director of Defence and Strategic Threats Simon Manley. An Al Jazeera report at the start of the meetings described Manley as having strong working relations and contacts with both domestic (MI5) and foreign (MI6) British intelligence agencies and the British Ministry of Defence, as well as internal counterterrorism security agencies.

British officials heaped praise on Algeria's record on terrorism and made it clear that the UK would not only be working increasingly closely with Algeria's DRS but that it would be providing it with material, intelligence, training and other such co-operative needs. The close working relationship between UK and Algerian counterterrorism is demonstrated by the fact that that the FCO's special advisor on terrorism in NW Africa, Patrick Tobin, is now almost permanently based in Algiers.

Major General Robin Searby, who was a member of the British delegation and the UK Prime Minister's adviser on counterterrorism for North Africa said that: "For the UK, Algeria has already great experience [in counterterrorism] and we will offer full assistance to the Algerian Government in its fight against Al Qaida in the Maghreb. The Algerian government is very strong in combating terrorism and the United Kingdom is confident and optimistic about this approach."

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

Western Sahara talks on 8 - 9 th November

Christopher Ross, the UN's latest envoy to try and make headway in the Western Sahara dispute, has at least succeeded in getting the main parties to agree to attend talks to be held in New York on 8 - 9th November. The aim of the talks is to try and break the impasse over the future of the disputed territory, which Ross says is 'unsustainable'. The talks follow Ross' recent visit to the region. A UN spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said that it hopes the talks “will be productive and will allow parties to move beyond the impasse.” Few analysts believe any such progress will be made. The fundamental problem is that the dispute is over a 'winner takes all' outcome. Morocco, however, has time on its side.

There are two small matters which have gone against Algeria, however, in the last week or so. Whether they will have much bearing on the talks is doubtful, but they are seen as possibly strengthening the Moroccan position.

What has happened to Mustapha Salma?

One is the reports, as yet unverified, and which could still be nothing more than Moroccan 'propaganda', that the outspoken Sahrawi leader, Mustapha Salma Ould Sidi Mouloud, was shot dead, or at least seriously injured by his Algerian and/or Polisario captors who have apparently been holding him since 21st September despite promises by the Polisario on 16th October that he would released. Salma's 'crime' was that he had voiced support for Morocco's autonomy plan. At this moment, all the reports of his possible death are coming from Moroccan sources. They are unverified and have all the appearance of being a major propaganda ploy to discredit both the Polisario and Algeria prior to next week's talks. However, if the reports turn out to be true, they could be very damaging for both the Polisario and Algeria.

Ali Belhadj explains the Islamist position

The second matter relates to comments made this week by the former FIS leader, Ali Belhadj. The gist of Belhadj's comments is that the Western Sahara dispute is a fight between two regimes, not two peoples, and that while both regimes are 'bad', the Algerian one is by far the worst. In that sense, Belhadj might appear to be lending his weight more to the Moroccan position. However, his fundamental argument, as an Islamist, is that Islamists don't like states, and especially small ones (as the Western Sahara would become), because Muslims are all one people and should be part of one single entity. But, if the Western Sahara was to be incorporated in Morocco, perhaps also with Mauritania, it would at least create a bigger entity than if it becomes independent. Not surprisingly, Belhadj's somewhat convoluted argument has not been given much coverage in Algeria, apart from some comment in the Arab-language media, but has been seized upon by the Moroccan media.

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

© 2010 Menas Associates

Algeria's oil and gas output to dwindle in 2011

Algeria's Finance Ministry has said that it expects the country's energy production and exports to drop in 2011, judging by the oil and gas earnings which are down by 4.5 per cent this year. Revenues from oil and gas exports are expected to decline from $44.2 billion to $42.2 billion this year and further next year.

Speaking about the forecast for 2010 Algeria's Finance Minister Karim Djoudi confirmed that “production and exports will decline”. Algeria is the world's eight largest crude oil exporter and supplies a large portion of Europe with its energy demand.

Earlier this year, Algeria's liquid natural gas production capacity was cut by 20 per cent, in what some believe was a sign of broader problems. However, Algeria's Energy Minister Yousef Yousfi said that liquid natural gas capacity will be back to normal within a few months.

It is thought that Algeria's energy sector economic output could shrink 0.8 per cent next year, proving to be the third successive year of negative growth for the energy sector. Any reduction in energy revenues might have a significant impact on Algeria's economy with oil and gas accounting for more than 95 per cent of the country's exports.

Source: Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.