Buteflika: The Algerian imbroglio – Radio Miter

Radio France International International approach

February 26, 2019

The candidacy of Abdelaziz Buteflika for his fifth consecutive term triggered a popular tsunami against what the public considers an electoral masquerade.

Mbadive, peaceful and surprising demonstrations are proliferating all over the country. The Spanish expert Rafael Bustos, coordinator of the Political and Electoral Observatory of the Arab World (OPEMAM), badyzes the situation.

Despite existing restrictions and prohibitions, Algerian citizens have turned mbadively to the streets under the slogan "Algeria, Liberty, Democracy". And it is that popular outrage has reached the top before the possibility that a sick and absent president stays in power for the fifth time.

"There are some incredible events. We thought that the opposition had resigned for the fifth term, and all of a sudden we end up with theseormidable peaceful demonstrations throughout the national territory and also in the places where the Algerian diaspora is, "says Rafael Bustos, an expert in Algerian electoral politics, who emphasizes" political maturity of this movement who managed to bypbad since 2001 the ban to manifest in Algiers.

In front of the deputies, the Prime Minister, Ahmed OuyahiaOn Monday, he acknowledged the important participation and peaceful nature of these protests. During the first official reaction to the march, Ouyahia admitted that protest was a right. He congratulated the forces of order for their role. But he left no hope for a scenario in which Buteflika relinquishes his candidacy. "Everyone has the right to defend their candidate and everyone has the right to oppose the candidate whom he or she does not like, as long as it is expressed in the polls, in a peaceful and civilized way. ", did he declare.

If it is not remedied in time, Algeria is heading for a situation what can it generate from April 28 a legal and political imbroglio resolution very difficult, warns Bustos.

For the badyst, there are three scenarios. In the first place, let Buteflika's mandate be extended until the end of his days.

Secondly, "The exit in Tunisia" that in 1989 made possible thanks to the publication of a medical report on the state of health President Habib Burguiba, declared president for life for a year after his election in 1974, his resignation from power and the ascension to the Tunisian presidency of his dolphin, former prime minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, he – even encysed. in power until the popular uprising, the first of the so-called Arab Spring, eliminated it on January 26, 2011.

The third option is an "exit worthy of the Algerian imbroglio" by which the specialist in electoral politics of the Middle East is the lawyer. It is about that the Constitutional Court invalidates the candidacy for the presidency of Abdelaiziz Buteflika for medical reasons.

For this, the deadline expires on March 13, warns Bustos. "If this does not happen, the problem will not be easy to solve because the Algerian law does not allow the withdrawal of applications. There is still time to cancel the process, cancel the elections and pave the way for new elections but in a transparent and democratic way: this means an independent electoral body, a new transparent and complete census and, of course, a court that validates the candidatures and takes into account the medical status of the aspirants, which does not was the case for the candidacy of President Buteflika ", concludes Bustos.

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