INTERNAL CHALLENGES TO BELKHADEM'S FLN LEADERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 002082

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2016
TAGS: PGOV AG
SUBJECT: INTERNAL CHALLENGES TO BELKHADEM'S FLN LEADERSHIP
NOT CONSIDERED THREATENING


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Thomas F. Daughton
for reasons 1.4 b, d.


1. (C) A number of political party contacts tell us that
rivals of Prime Minister Belkhadem are increasingly seeking
to thwart his presidential ambitions by painting a picture of
a prime minister who is so consumed by in-fighting within his
own party that he is unable to govern effectively. Party
stalwarts and parliamentarians in the presidential coalition
dismiss the view of Belkhadem's detractors that his
leadership of the FLN is in peril. Several of these sources
told us that opponents of Belkhadem's presidential
aspirations are deliberately fanning the flames of dissension
within the FLN.


2. (C) The party of Algerian independence, the FLN brings
together an array of moderate Islamists, socialists, and
others under a single umbrella and has always been prone to
internal battles. The communications director for the FLN
observed that most of the "battles" these days arise from the
fierce competition among candidates to have their names
appear high on party lists in the lead up to the May
parliamentary elections. For him it was ironic that the FLN,
which "dominates the political scene" in Algeria, was being
accused in the press of anti-democratic behavior when its
process for establishing electoral lists in districts across
the country was, he claimed, quite democratic. He also noted
that the FLN was alone among political parties in
establishing a goal for the number of female candidates (20%)
in the May parliamentary elections.


3. (C) FLN officials denied that any one element of the FLN
was creating havoc for the party leadership. However, one
FLN MP who was dispatched in late November to mediate a
dispute among unidentified local party officials told us that
much of the infighting these days is being engineered by
supporters of Ali Benflis, who was ousted as party leader in
a Belkhadem-orchestrated coup in 2004. The MP told PolEc
Chief that her mediation was one of a series of recent
efforts to address the concerns of pro-Benflis malcontents
with a personal grudge against Belkhadem. Moves against
Belkhadem's leadership, usually in party offices in smaller
districts across the country, continue to preoccupy the FLN,
according to this MP. She contended, though, that any
distraction in the ranks of the FLN from such disputes seldom
required Belkhadem's personal attention. Despite the
dissatisfaction of Benflis supporters and some senior FLN
party leaders with Belkhadem's leadership, Belkhadem's
leadership in her view was very much assured.


4. (C) Belkhadem's detractors inside and outside the FLN
agree the PM is not going to lose his FLN presidency anytime
soon. Noureddine Ait Messaoudene, executive director of the
moderate Islamist (and presidential coalition member) MSP
party, told us the FLN party leaders are not about to dump
Belkhadem without having in mind a suitable successor, and
FLN contacts concur that those Belkhadem's opponents within
the party cannot agree on a candidate to replace him. It's
one thing to agree that Belkhadem is not the ideal leader but
quite another to find someone more suitable, observed Ait
Messaoudene. More to the point, Belkhadem continues to enjoy
the support of President Bouteflika, who supported his 2004
takeover of the party leadership from Benflis. FLN sources
tell us few in the party dissatisfied with Belkhadem's
leadership for ideological reasons are likely to cast their
lot with the Benflis "anybody-but-Belkhadem" camp because
they know chances of ousting the sitting PM are slim.
Besides, Bouteflika is very popular among the FLN faithful.
As one FLN MP put it, what Bouteflika wants matters most.
DAUGHTON