algeriathe once and future battleground
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

Algeria,the once and future battleground?

Egypt Today, egypt today

algeriathe once and future battleground

Ali Ibrahim

Because the situation is constantly changing, no one knows for certain how long it will take before everything settles down following the wave of political change that has affected some Arab regimes since the protests of 2011. The consequences continue to unfold, and some of them have been very bloody, as in Syria. Countries are different in terms of the composition and complexities of their societies and their political and economic circumstances, making each of them unique, with their own specific problems. However, changes in societies can share certain characteristics: most prominently that nothing happens overnight; the fall of a regime and the rebuilding of a new one both take time. In many cases, the conflicts have resulted from the uncovering of hidden problems could not be avoided, and which themselves may be some of the reasons for the change. The model of Eastern European countries which emerged from the former Soviet Union is an indicator of the time which societies and state institutions need to absorb a new system. Many of these countries joined the European Union or are currently seeking membership, but the gap between them and Western members in terms of living standards, economic development and productivity still remains considerable. In the Arab world, there is the Algerian model, which some say was a precursor to what Arab countries experienced in 2011. Though originally called the Arab Spring, more than three years later there is disagreement over the name for these events, and a marked decline in enthusiasm as many conflicts—sectarian, ethnic, tribal—have erupted, as well as outright civil war. In all cases the future remains unknown. The start was in Algeria in 1988, during the presidency of Chadli Bendjedid, oil prices were in decline, which caused an economic crisis that resulted in protests demanding better living conditions and more political freedom. The response was violent and the bloodshed worsened the crisis. However, the demonstrations, which the government was unable deal with, led to the end of the one-party system, and led the country into an era of political pluralism. The remaining repercussions are all too well known, most prominently the rise of Islamists represented by the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), followed by 10 bitter years of armed violence, which often took bloody, indescribable forms, and which killed many thousands of people. People forgot that the origin of the protests were demands for better living conditions and freedom after years of one-party rule. There are similarities between 1988 and 2011. The issue of demands and living conditions were at the heart of the protests in many Arab countries. The demands for liberty were accompanied by demands for improving the transparency of the political system. There were no religious or sectarian demands, and political Islamist groups subsequently popped up to turn the issue into a horror movie of conflict and violence. There were always warnings to avoid the Algerian scenario in people’s minds. In around 10 days’ time, Algerians will go to the polls to elect a president for a new term, an event which promises to be pivotal given both what has happened since 2011, and the events of Algeria’s political transition following the uprising of 1988 and the bloody years of the 1990s, which brought current President Abdelaziz Bouteflika into power. Algeria has experienced relative stability, with signs of detente and political openness and reconciliation sponsored by state institutions, and an atmosphere of political pluralism has been preserved. There are problems today, but the difference between the situation now and in the 1980s is massive. Because of the increase in the price of oil, there is now a national surplus of 200 billion US dollars and the average annual income for individuals is 7,500 dollars. Algeria is also ranked second in the list of countries with the least debt in the Middle East. These are hopeful statistics, which suggest the tools of success and development are available and could be used in development and modernization—and more importantly, in providing the youth with employment. This is possible on the condition that political stability remains in place and is preserved by the political elite whatever the results of the elections—because Algeria has already paid a high prince, a price it should never have to pay again. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arab Today.

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

algeriathe once and future battleground algeriathe once and future battleground



GMT 18:35 2018 Friday ,14 December

Can Armenia break the ice with Turkey?

GMT 21:25 2018 Thursday ,13 December

PM limps on with UK still in Brexit gridlock

GMT 21:21 2018 Thursday ,13 December

US begins crackdown on Iran sanctions violations

GMT 14:33 2018 Wednesday ,12 December

Political turbulence likely to continue unabated in 2019

GMT 14:26 2018 Wednesday ,12 December

Canada standing on the wrong side of history

GMT 13:27 2018 Tuesday ,11 December

France and the crisis of democracy

GMT 10:14 2019 Monday ,19 August

Love a special date with you

GMT 12:03 2017 Wednesday ,19 July

Saudi tourism chief applauds festive

GMT 18:05 2017 Thursday ,27 April

Damascus blast consistent with Israeli policy

GMT 16:16 2015 Tuesday ,29 September

Kuwaiti folklore delights crowd at Expo Milano 2015

GMT 13:52 2017 Friday ,31 March

UK economy grows 0.7% in final quarter of 2016

GMT 06:11 2017 Thursday ,02 November

Riyadh, Kiev cement relations with Saudi visit

GMT 22:38 2011 Saturday ,23 April

Picnic with pachyderm: enjoy Nepal safari with kids

GMT 08:43 2018 Monday ,08 January

Messi marks new milestone in Barcelona

GMT 13:33 2017 Saturday ,11 November

Buzzing with 1920s Tokyo design and flavour

GMT 19:38 2017 Monday ,02 October

Report: Bahrain's labour market stable

GMT 10:40 2016 Thursday ,15 September

Dwarfs stand tall at Rio Paralympics

GMT 07:21 2017 Friday ,17 March

Chinese president receives Saudi king

GMT 05:56 2017 Saturday ,04 March

Japan’s core inflation rises

GMT 12:35 2012 Friday ,21 September

Qatari healthcare system to undergo changes

GMT 08:11 2017 Sunday ,12 February

White Nationalist Online Presence up 600% Since 2012
Egypt Today, egypt today
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday