Presidential elections. This is how Algerians look at candidates' programs

Abdelhakim Hazaqa - Algeria

Despite a week of campaigning in Algeria, the presidential race is still lackluster due to widespread public rejection and limited voter programs, observers say.

In the past few days, the five contenders have put forward their ideas in various fields.Abdulkader Benkreina stressed that amending the constitution, reducing the powers of the president and supporting the opposition are political priorities.He also focused on building a free economic system, raising the base wage and reducing the tax on gross income.

Ali Benflis proposed a democratic transformation based on seven major workshops, under the "national urgency" to ensure the demands of the peaceful revolution, and to provide a compromise between the two presidential options and the Constituent Assembly.

Abdelaziz Belaid considered that reviewing all laws related to reforms - as well as opening a dialogue of the whole political spectrum in the country - a top priority.

His program included proposals to combat unemployment, consider workers' wages, and create a special body for the national community.

Housing crisis
Teboun promised to solve the housing crisis, abolish income taxes of less than 30,000 dinars a month ($ 250) and tax incentives to value national production. He pledged to separate money from politics in public life.

The Izzedine Mihoubi 15 program included a “strategic” commitment, emphasizing “structural” reforms to the economy and eliminating generalized social support.

It committed itself to upholding freedoms that do not affect customs and traditions, with the independence of the judiciary and the legislature.

Populist promises
To find out how the Algerians interacted with those pledges, Al Jazeera Net spotted a sample of citizens' opinions. He said (Fouad A., employee) that the programs of candidates did not deviate from public speeches and populist speeches, they focus on the social side without the development of mechanisms to materialize the promises, in addition to the absence of a realistic economic model.

"Are they promising realistic ideas or just speech and speech?" "I am not very convinced of what they have to offer, they are just spices to cook until they are well cooked."

For her part, said the journalist "Nesrin. To" It is difficult to fulfill the promises of candidates "because of the complex economic situation and the complexity of the crisis because its embodiment subject to oil prices and national consensus."

However, Abdul Majeed A., headmaster of the school, seemed less pessimistic, asserting that there were realistic programs that touched different strata, as opposed to others ideological or loose with no prospects and no clear measures.

Warm-up and moderation
The readings of the specialists of the candidates' programs in all their dimensions and their approaches to the next stage were not far behind. The political scientist believes strongly that there is no significant disparity between them.

He told Al-Jazeera Net, "The picture is not clear yet, allowing for the establishment of a fundamental border between their ideas," saying that the beginning is fading in light of the rejection of a large segment of the movement for the elections, as an extension of the former political scene, and this makes the contestants need to flirt with voters to break with the past.

He added that the speech is still in the warm-up phase, and did not reach the stage of shock and the detection of trump cards, through the presentation of precise elements of the potential to take off.

Idriss Boulkaibat, a media specialist, shared the view that the candidates' speech was moderating, "so far they have not made the promises that we have heard on such occasions."

This is due to pragmatism, which has become a basis for working in addressing Algerian voters, who have shown maturity during the popular movement, and have become alienated from the forms of emotional discourse and the marketing of illusion.

He highlighted that some are looking towards the future and building new Algeria, by pledging to fight the corruption of businessmen and the recovery of looted funds, as well as the development of the South.

Others are focusing on elections as a way out of the political crisis, by criticizing Bouteflika's rule, state institutions, and legislation he deems necessary to change.

Similarity and difference
On the other hand, the economist Kamal Rezig stressed that the programs offered, and in terms of their limited effectiveness and perception, the economic aspect has received 70% of its size.

He explained that they agreed to characterize the previous situation and improve the standard of living and redistribution of social transfers to a direct pattern, in addition to out of petroleum rents to the productive economy, as well as fighting financial corruption.

But they differed in the priority sectors - and still talk to the economist - and the type of economic model, and also in the method and method of development takeoff.

He also stressed that the program came as promises only without a clear-cut policy, it was predominantly structural in nature, and missed the forward-looking figures and timelines as a result of the loss of correct economic information.

Identity
In the other context, the use of common cultural, historical and religious symbols for their ability to influence popular, such as places of worship and angles, has emerged, although the constitution prohibits the adoption of parties on the basis of identity, as well as the "document of morality" spent by candidates, as philosopher Boumediene Bouzid said.

He said in a statement to Al Jazeera Net that programs often avoided talking about identity, considering it intentional because of the conflicts that can affect the popularity of the candidate, where they left those controversial issues among Algerians.

He added that the general contestants presented the historical affiliation in connection with the "November liberation revolution" in Arabic, Amazigh and Islam, without entering into the sectarian and ideological details.

He pointed out that the use of the word "Badisiyah" was to demonstrate the Arab belonging religious religious liberation renewal, in line with the spread in large spectrums of popular movement.