The five candidates for the Algerian presidential election of December 12 have been known for ten days and already the favorite of the ballot tape on France to score points. Abdelmadjid Tebboune attacked French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and France 24 on Sunday (November 10th), accusing him of interference in Algeria's political life.
"I see a French public television channel for which Algeria is summed up in the place of the Grand Poste and the place Audin," said the candidate on the channel El Bilad about the coverage by France 24 of the Algerian demonstrations against power. "Their Foreign Minister says the same thing, what do you get involved in? I'm not talking about official France, I would not allow myself, but the French Foreign Minister said that a transition period was needed. Algeria: The Algerian people do not want this transition period, what are you doing? ", He added.
>> Read: Five candidates vying for presidential elections in Algeria
Ephemeral Prime Minister Abdelaziz Bouteflika for three months in the summer 2017, several times ministers - Trade, Housing, Local Authorities, Communication - former wali (prefect), Abdelmadjid Tebboune is, see you soon 74 years, the favorite of the future Algerian presidential and a representative of the power in place.
"This is the man of the current chief of staff of the army, Ahmed Gaïd Salah," said Pierre Vermeren, historian specialist in Algeria, author of the "French denial, our secret history of French links "Albin Michel, 2019, contacted by France 24." And by his age, his career, his associates, he represents the continuity with the generations that have ruled Algeria until now. man of the system, an apparatchik of the state bureaucracy. "
In fact, graduated from ENA in Algiers and senior official in Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune is a man of the security and political cogs of the country, but not an ideologue. His candidacy, which is that of a change in continuity, arouses very great reluctance among the demonstrators who demand the renewal of political staff and institutions.
"A compulsory passage vis-à-vis the ruling circles"
"But by making such comments, he scores with supporters of the FLN [the National Liberation Front, the historic party of former President Bouteflika] because it is almost necessary in Algeria to say that there is a French interference, says Pierre Vermeren.In this, Abdelmadjid Tebboune uses one of the fundamentals of Algerian political communication even if the process is old, classic, recurrent and that it is almost, for a candidate who wishes to be elected, of an obligatory passage, especially vis-à-vis the ruling circles. "
The presidential candidate's remarks refer in particular to the arrest of Saïd Bouteflika and two former Algerian intelligence chiefs in early May, who had been accused by the conspiracy army after a meeting they would have had with senior officials. French officials. At the time, already, these arrests had allowed the army to imply that France was interfering in Algerian affairs in order to want to circumvent the current popular movement then apparently supported by the army.
Contacted by France 24, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not react to Abdelmadjid Tebboune's remarks.
>> Read: The holding of the presidential elections in Algeria could "radicalize the mobilization"
"As for France 24, it is a channel that is much watched in Algeria, but it is also a public television, so his point of view is considered by the Algerians as the official point of view, says Pierre Vermeren. From the moment France 24 reports the 'Hirak', it is presented as an interference, but there is currently a political transition in Algeria, but with its statements, we can actually see that Abdelmadjid Tebboune in place want to make believe that we remain in a usual process, even if we are outside the constitutional nails. "
The director of France 24, Marc Saikali, recalls from his side that "the channel is a large international news channel and that its editorial line is free, independent and objective".