- Title: ALGERIA: Algeria Islamist leader predicts unrest if vote rigged.
- Date: 2nd February 2012
- Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (JANUARY 30, 2012) (REUTERS) LEADER OF FRONT FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT, SHEIKH ABDALLAH DJABALLAH SITTING IN HIS OFFICE DJABALLAH BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEADER OF FRONT FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT, SHEIKH ABDALLAH DJABALLAH, SAYING: "Islamic movements have won all the elections they took part in. The first time the elections were not rigged, we won. The elections were rigged in 1997 and we won that day, but the results were faked. Furthermore, in other elections, and particularly the presidential election of 1999, the legislative elections of 2002 and the presidential election of 2004. If victory was achieved before, why can't it be achieved today? The conditions today are far better than they were yesterday. In spite of this, we hope that the coming elections will be free and fair and that the will of the people will be respected and we will be happy for whoever wins. And I hope that the Front for Justice and Development will be the one to win." DJABALLAH TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEADER OF FRONT FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT, SHEIKH ABDALLAH DJABALLAH, SAYING: "We hope that the transition towards a real, proper, multi-party democracy will be peaceful and smooth. But if, God forbid, the elections are rigged, this could be one of the factors that might push the people to explode. And those who know the situation in Algeria today are aware that Algeria has thousands of hotbeds of tension as a result of social and other reasons. We should not add to these reasons. There are other factors that are far more important and have a greater impact on people's hearts. Therefore, it is in everyone's interests to organise free and fair elections and to respect the will of the nation." REPORTER LISTENING AS DJABALLAH SPEAKS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEADER OF FRONT FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT, SHEIKH ABDALLAH DJABALLAH, SAYING: "We are working now to ensure there are no irregularities or fraud. We are calling for this and insist that the necessary legal, political, media and material conditions are provided or organise free and fair elections and we are also working towards this. And if, God forbid, the worst happens, we will see what we will do." DJABALLAH LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LEADER OF FRONT FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT, SHEIKH ABDALLAH DJABALLAH, SAYING: "Today we opened a new chapter, called the Front for Justice and Development. It is an organisation that is open to all Algerians in order to cooperate to serve Islam, the homeland and the nation using the methods of tolerance, compassion and cooperation in righteousness and piety, and considers politics as an interest to be protected and governed by truth and justice." DJABALLAH SEATED DJABALLAH TALKING TO REPORTERS
- Embargoed: 17th February 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria, Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA563MGLLJ0NY6IZZK6ENJ0SQLJ
- Story Text: Algeria's government will ignite an explosion of unrest if it tries to rig a parliamentary election in May to keep its grip on power, according to the leader of an Islamist opposition party vying for a major share of the vote.
Algeria's government will ignite an explosion of unrest if it tries to rig a parliamentary election in May to keep its grip on power, according to the leader of an Islamist opposition party vying for a big share of the vote.
Sheikh Abdallah Djaballah is the leader of the Front for Justice and Development, a moderate Islamist party widely viewed by Algerians as one of the few credible challengers to the government.
He said the Islamists would be sure to win if fair elections were held.
"Islamic movements have won all the elections they took part in. The first time the elections were not rigged, we won. The elections were rigged in 1997 and we won that day, but the results were faked. Furthermore, in other elections, and particularly the presidential election of 1999, the legislative elections of 2002 and the presidential election of 2004. If victory was achieved before, why can't it be achieved today?" he said.
Throwing down a gauntlet to the secularist leaders who have run the country since independence from France in 1962, moderate Islamists are building support, buoyed by an Islamist resurgence in neighbours Tunisia, Libya and Morocco in the wake of last year's popular revolts.
With a potential victory in mind, Djaballah warned that Algerians would no longer tolerate a rigged vote.
"We hope that the transition towards a real, proper, multi-party democracy will be peaceful and smooth. But if, God forbid, the elections are rigged, this could be one of the factors that might push the people to explode," he said.
Algeria's 74-year-old president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has enacted limited reforms he said were decided to give the opposition a voice and ensure the election is fair, and last week, the Front for Justice and Development was given the green light by the authorities to take part in the vote.
But Djaballah said he still doubted the elections would be free of fraud.
"We are working now to ensure there are no irregularities or fraud. We are calling for this and insist that the necessary legal, political, media and material conditions are provided or organise free and fair elections and we are also working towards this. And if, God forbid, the worst happens, we will see what we will do," he said.
A broad spectrum of Algerians -- including those close to the government -- say there is no appetite in the country for a radical change, or for bringing Islamists to power, after the country's bloody experience over the past two decades.
But Djaballah, an Islamic scholar, said the violence had not weakened Algerians' support for the Islamist movement.
"Today we opened a new chapter, called the Front for Justice and Development. It is an organisation that is open to all Algerians in order to cooperate to serve Islam, the homeland and the nation using the methods of tolerance, compassion and cooperation in righteousness and piety, and considers politics as an interest to be protected and governed by truth and justice," he said.
Although he has strong grassroots support, Djaballah's party alarms some Algerians -- including many in the ruling elite -- who perceive its Islamist ideas as a threat to the country's secularist traditions and a throwback to the conflict in the 1990s.
But even if Islamists were to win a majority in Algeria's parliament, their influence would be limited. Under the constitution, the president holds most power and does not need parliament's approval to appoint the government. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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