On February 22, thousands took to the streets in Algiers to protest against the regime.These protests took place in protest against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's insistence on running for a fifth term, but the resignation of the long-serving president did not stop the protesters.On the contrary, demonstrations continued. The 16 August 2019 was marked by the 26th Friday of demonstrations in Algiers in succession and across the country. At present there is no violence similar to the conflict between the police and the well-known yellow-jacketed demonstrators in France, and there is no outside interference, but there is no looming solution to the crisis.
Of course, six months is not short. In the summer of 1968, American folk singer John Paez shook the Newport folk song festival when she sang her famous song "We Want Our Freedom Now." . Of course, the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964, the Vietnam War stopped in 1973, and some of the demonstrators' demands were met.
The first call by the Algerian protesters was to "get rid of them all," and after six months of peaceful protests none of the protesters' demands were met.
Following Bouteflika's compulsory resignation in April, new presidential elections were scheduled for July 4, but the Constitutional Council claimed there were no suitable candidates and worked to extend the powers of interim President Abdelkader Bensalah, speaker of the Algerian parliament. The protesters, who had demanded the resignation of Bouteflika, demanded the resignation of Ben Saleh. Their main demand was to end the rule of the oligarchs, but Ben Saleh is still in power, while the ruling elite is still dominant.
But why are Algerians so patient? It is 26 weeks of peaceful demonstrations, negotiations for presidential elections, investigations into corruption in the state, and the arrest of two former prime ministers. In July, Ben Saleh established the Dialogue and Mediation Authority to help prepare for presidential elections.
Six months later, in a world where time is accelerating, along with rapid social media reporting, there has been no end to the transition, but why has the transition not ended yet? The army remains the backbone of Algerian politics, the most powerful institution in the country, and has been a successful balance force so far. The army played a vital role in the war for independence from France in 1962, in addition to the civil war against extremist groups between 1991 and 2002, Which killed about 200,000 people. Fear of the return of extremists has allowed the army to continue to ensure civil peace and stability, and it shows how determined the people are despite the injustice and limited freedom.
Army chief Ahmed Qaid Saleh played an important role in the transition, although he publicly denied his desire to run for president. "I will remain fully convinced that constructive dialogue with state institutions is the only way out of the crisis," Saleh said in a statement published by the Defense Ministry. "The wisest way to make constructive proposals is to bridge the gap and reach consensus on the solutions available," he said.
At the moment, the army is still disciplined, and although it was respected during the civil war for maintaining order in the country, there are those who say that the army is now part of the crisis. The demonstrators called for slogans saying "the army is not the solution" and also called on Qaid Saleh to "get out of power."
Protesters see bin Saleh as part of the ruling elite, just like the army. They do not accept gradual change but radical change, and sweeping reform of the state. Simple presidential elections are not enough. "Algerians will reject elections that will lead to the reproduction of the system," said the political science professor at the University of Algiers, who did not give his name. "The demand of the demonstrators in the streets is clear.
But how long will peaceful demonstrations last? While a country like Belgium can work without a government, it has survived for 589 days between 2010 and 2011, but Algeria does not have a culture of democracy. Although there are no known foreign interventions, it is worth noting that Algeria is ranked 16th among the countries with the largest reserves of oil, and is ranked ninth in the possession of the largest gas reserves in the world, and therefore the current impasse can not continue this way.
In fact, the demands of freedom in Algeria are very similar to the Hong Kong demonstrations, which started with simple demands, and the demonstrators in Hong Kong opposed the deportation law. Protesters in Hong Kong, Chinese security and military personnel into violence. In Algeria, demands have doubled as demonstrators remain committed to peace.
The call for "freedom now" has become a universal slogan, and John Paez is still singing the songs of the 1960s protests, even though she is 78 years old on her last singing tour. The Algerians lived through a terrifying civil war and witnessed the end of Bouteflika's presidency. Although Algeria's peaceful transition remains fragile, it is clear that freedom is still far away, because not all have been eliminated.
- The army is now part of the crisis,
The demonstrators called out slogans, saying:
"The army is not the solution."
Daniel Warner: American composer