Algerian Legislative Elections in May, Protesters Injured

10 demonstrators were injured by the security forces in Laghouat, southern Algeria, who were protesting unemployment and housing shortage.  According to the a representative of the National Coordination for the Defence of the Rights of the Unemployed, the protesters reacted to provocations from the security forces. Moreover, the police beat demonstrators and used tear gas. Unemployment in Algeria is an important issue, according to the IMF it reaches 21 percent among the youth.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Domestic Affairs Dahou Ould Kablia announced (in French) that the legislative elections to be held in May will be transparent. Kabila said to the heads of administration that “if there was no transparency they would be revoked.”  He said that for the first time during the elections there will be transparent ballot boxes and a monitoring boards consisted of representatives of all the parties. However, the Rally for Culture and Democracy Party has announced that it would boycott the elections if the electoral registers were not cleaned up.

The academic Luiz Martinez proposed (in French) an analysis of the political background in Algeria a year after the beginning of the Arab upheaval.  He described the demonstrations as not  necessarily pro-democratic but based on social demands, like the rise of wages.  Thanks to oil-producing incomes the government has the capacity to resolve social issues, weaken the opposition and in the same time be independent from foreign aids or interests. The actual regime is  based and shaped by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and gives little room for the development of democratic institutions. It is one of the reason why the abstention was so high during last legislative elections in 2007 and the participation may remain low during next ones. In the end, Martinez asserted that “oil dependence, weak institutions, unemployment corruption etc. are ingredients which sap future stability”.