Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ALGIERS526
2007-04-17 15:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Algiers
Cable title:  

ALGERIAN ELECTION PROCESS UNDERWAY

Tags:  PGOV KDEM AG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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P 171557Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ALGIERS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3447
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0900
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1573
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 8535
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 1208
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 5930
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2144
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 1724
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 6564
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 2930
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 000526 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN ELECTION PROCESS UNDERWAY

REF: A. ALGIERS 338


B. ALGIERS 410

C. ALGIERS 282

D. ALGIERS 292

E. ALGIERS 367

Classified By: DCM Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4 (b, d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ALGIERS 000526

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM AG
SUBJECT: ALGERIAN ELECTION PROCESS UNDERWAY

REF: A. ALGIERS 338


B. ALGIERS 410

C. ALGIERS 282

D. ALGIERS 292

E. ALGIERS 367

Classified By: DCM Thomas F. Daughton; reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Algeria's major political parties, except
Islah, have submitted voter lists in all 48 wilayas for the
May 17 national parliamentary elections. According to FLN
sources, its candidates are older and more conservative than
expected, and the number of women figuring on its lists based
on the size of the party is low. The FLN "primary process,"
despite being billed early on as a hallmark of transparent
democracy, proved to be anything but. A number of FLN
members went so far as to attempt a sit-in at parliament to
protest the final party lists, but were prevented from doing
so. PM Belkhadem and current parliamentary speaker Amar
Saidani are not running, fueling press speculation that
Belkhadem seeks to succeed Saidani. The leftist Workers'
Party has successfully tapped into frustrations on the
Algerian street and likely will make the best showing of
opposition parties. The National Democratic Rally (RND)
party is hoping that turmoil within its primary presidential
coalition rival, FLN, will lead it to victory. Betting that
fresh faces are what Algerian voters want, the Movement for a
Society of Peace (MSP),the coalition's Islamist party, is
generally running political newcomers. In spite of the
parties' activity, the elections do not yet appear to be
generating much interest among most citizens. End Summary.

THE ELECTION PROCESS IS UNDERWAY
--------------


2. (C) Preparations for the May 17 parliamentary elections
are underway (ref A). Voters will choose a party list,
rather than individual candidates, for the seats in their
wilaya (province). The parties submitted their lists to the
interior ministry on April 1. Under Article 113 of the
election code, the interior ministry has two weeks to
validate the lists -- which it has now reportedly done,
though it has not yet made the lists public. Party contacts
told us that all three members of the presidential coalition
-- National Liberation Front (FLN),National Democratic Rally
(RND) and Movement for a Society of Peace (MSP) -- submitted

lists for all 48 wilayas, as did two opposition parties, the
leftist Workers' Party and the predominantly Berber Rally for
Culture and Democracy (RCD) (ref B). Based on conversations
with us, two additional opposition parties, the Movement for
Social Reform (Islah) and the Democratic and Social Movement
(MDS),registered in at least half of the 48 wilayas. While
party officials declined to give the exact figure, we believe
Islah registered in 25 wilayas and MDS in about 30. The
"official" campaign will run from April 25 to May 14, with
the election scheduled for May 17.

PRESIDENTIAL COALITION
--------------


3. (C) According to FLN Secretary General (and Prime
Minister) Abdelaziz Belkhadem, the 15 FLN ministers currently
serving in the government will be at the top of FLN lists.
FLN sources told us that most of its candidates are over 50
and that the party will field just 74 women candidates (out
of a total of 575 candidates on its lists, for 389
parliamentary seats). The FLN, however, is experiencing
internal turmoil. According to press reports, party
activists felt ignored in the creation of the party lists.
An FLN MP told us that some of his party colleagues tried
April 8 to organize a sit-in at parliament to protest recent
party actions but were prevented from doing so by parliament
staff. (Comment: FLN officials beginning last fall had
predicted far higher numbers of women. They had also
promised a fully "transparent and democratic" primary
process. The failure to deliver tangible results and
Belkhadem's hand-picking of candidates, predominantly FLN
"dinosaurs," have divided the membership. End Comment.)


4. (C) RND Communications Director Miloud Chorfi told us his
party planned to put two of its eight current ministers at
the top of its lists. He added that 12 of the 47 current RND
members of parliament would be running again and that RND

ALGIERS 00000526 002 OF 002


would field 48 women candidates. MSP, with five government
ministers, is expected to put two ministers at the top of its
lists and will field 19 women candidates. According to
interior ministry sources, 75% of the MSP candidates have
never served in parliament.

OPPOSITION
--------------


5. (C) According to party contacts the RCD, which boycotted
the 2002 elections, has put forward a slate of candidates
that includes party leader Said Sadi (in the wilaya of
Algiers) and a total of 35 female candidates. In an April 3
meeting with Charge, Workers' Party leader Louisa Hanoune
emphasized her party's efforts to be inclusive of women. She
said that women headed her party's lists in 16 wilayas and
that women's names figured on the lists in every wilaya.
Press reports indicate that newly-recognized Islah leader
Mohamed Boulahia (ref C) will be running, heading up the
"Islah" list. Some supporters of "former" Islah leader
Abdallah Djaballah expect to run on the National Movement for
Nature and Development (MNND) ticket or as independent
candidates. Two smaller parties, the Republican National
Alliance (ANR) and the Union for Democracy and the Republic
(UDR),have presented a combined list, according to party
leaders.

NOT RUNNING
--------------


6. (C) Noting in an April 2 press conference that President
Bouteflika had been involved in the approval of the FLN
candidate lists, PM Belkhadem said that neither he nor
National Assembly President Amar Saidani would be running for
parliament, prompting press speculation that Belkhadem wants
to be the next president of the National Assembly.
(According to one FLN source, Saidani may be named ambassador
to a country in the Middle East.) MSP party leader and
Minister of State without portfolio Boudjerra Soltani is also
not expected to run for parliament. (Comment: Soltani
publicly accused the government of not bringing charges
against corrupt officials in court. When Bouteflika
challenged him for the names, Soltani provided none. While
MSP's membership has since voted to keep Soltani as its
leader, the party has sought to distance itself from his
corruption miscalculation by not having his name appear on
the party list. End Comment.)

COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) The FLN is betting that voters want the experience and
stability its candidates represent, as opposed to innovation.
RND is counting on FLN infighting to boost its electoral
gains. The recent goings-on between the interior ministry
and Islah have eviscerated that party (ref C and D). MSP and
the Workers' Party, however, have carefully marketed
themselves as parties for and of change. With
anti-corruption rhetoric and 75% new candidates on its lists,
MSP is seen as a party willing to give a chance to non-career
politicians. Similarly, Louisa Hanoune and her Workers'
Party have clearly supported expanding Algeria's political
space to include more women and, importantly, Hanoune's party
is perceived on the streets as having made an issue of the
economic and employment challenges faced by average
Algerians, many of whom are now standing in long lines to buy
affordable milk (ref E). Nonetheless, while procedurally the
election process is moving forward, all of this may be much
ado about nothing: the elections do not yet appear to be
generating much interest here among most citizens. Further,
results of an on-line poll conducted by Arabic-language daily
El Khabar and published April 10 indicated that only 5.36
percent of the respondents expressed satisfaction with
parliament's performance as an institution.
FORD