- Title: ALGERIA: ALGERIANS ARE HEADING FOR THE POLLS TO VOTE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
- Date: 28th May 2002
- Summary: (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 29, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV OVER CITY 0.04 2. SLV/SV VEILED WOMAN WALKING PAST ELECTION POSTERS (2 SHOTS) 0.14 (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 28, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3. SV OLD PERSON LOOKING AT NEWSPAPER AT KIOSK 0.22 4. CU OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING "OUR POLLS SHOW VICTORY" 0.25 (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 29, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5. PAN PEOPLE GATHERED IN FRONT OF PARTY OFFICE 0.34 6. MCU PEOPLE TALKING IN STREET 0.44 7. SV PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET 0.50 8. MCU WOMAN SITTING 0.56 9. LV/SV PEOPLE WALKING IN STREET (2 SHOTS) 1.11 10. PAN MAN SITTING ON BENCH UNDERNEATH ELECTION POSTERS 1.22 11. CU OF ELECTION POSTERS 1.27 12. SLV PEOPLE WALKING ON PROMENADE 1.34 (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 28, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. SLV AHMED DJEDAI WALKING OUT OF SOCIALIST FORCES FRONT (FFS) HEADQUARTERS 1.40 14. MCU (Arabic) SOCIALIST FORCES FRONT (FFS) SPOKESMAN AHMED DJEDDAI SAYING: "We rejected these elections for several reasons, the first is a political reason; we have reached a political dead end because the present institutions came to power by massive fraud in 1995, 1997 and 1999 and we believe that fraud will be rife in these elections too." 2.14 (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 29, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 15. SV/MCU EDITOR IN CHIEF OF EL-YOUM NEWSPAPER NACERDDINE ALOUI IN NEWSROOM (3 SHOTS) 2.26 16. MCU (Arabic) EDITOR IN CHIEF OF EL-YOUM NEWSPAPER NACERDDINE ALOUI SAYING: "I am sure that there will be a huge boycott of the elections, not because the parties called for the boycott but because the people do not care about these elections, the people do not see a way out or any solution to the social problems that they have to live with. I think there will be a massive boycott, but you can be sure that the government will release official statistics showing the number of people boycotting the elections to be as small as they can." 2.55 (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 29, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 17. LV/SV OF PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREET (2 SHOTS) 3.08 18. SLV/SV PEOPLE DRINKING TEA AND COFFEE IN A COFFEE SHOP (2 SHOTS) 3.20 19. MCU (Arabic) CUSTOMER MOHAMED REDA SAYING: "What we all hope for is fairness in the election process and democracy." 3.27 (W3) ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 28, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 20. LAS EXTERIOR OF NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT PARTY HEADQUARTERS 3.33 21. MCU (French) PRIME MINISTER AND LEADER OF NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT PARTY, ALI BENFLIS SAYING: "The President has proposed the recognition of the Tamazik language as an official language and all these measures can ease tension, through the continuation of dialogue I think that a solution can be reached." 4.20 22. MCU (French) PRIME MINISTER AND LEADER OF NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT PARTY, ALI BENFLIS SAYING: "How can we improve the laws? By changing them. How to change them? Through parliament. To bring new ideas is also to bring new people into parliament. So once again, use the ballots and the vote in order to bring change here." 4.39 23. SLV OF THE INTERVIEW 4.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th June 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- Country: Algeria
- Reuters ID: LVABJ2845KRXU86A6CV8RF86XVD9
- Story Text: Algerians are heading for the polls to vote in
parliamentary elections later this week. The exercise is
likely to be overshadowed by an opposition boycott and voter
apathy.
The vote takes place on Thursday (May 30) as Algeria
still grapples with the crisis triggered by the army-backed
authorities scrapping of the 1992 poll, after which a bloody
Islamic insurgency plunged the vast, oil-producing nation of
31 million into turmoil.
About 18 million voters are registered with a total of 389
members of the lower house of parliament, the National Popular
Assembly to be elected.
More than 100,000 people, mostly civilians, have been
killed in the past 10 years. Independent sources put the toll
at up to 150,000.
But The Socialist Forces Front (FFS) and the Rally for
Culture and Democracy (RCD), Algeria's main opposition groups,
said they would shun what they called the government's attempt
to redeem its democratic credentials.
The two parties, which draw the bulk of their electorate
from Kabylie, have campaigned for a boycott of the vote and
denounced plans to rig it -- "a repeat of the 1997 scenario"
-- a reference to the alleged fraud in the last general
election.
They lashed out at the official "unwillingness" to settle
the simmering crisis in Kabylie.
More than 100 ethnic Berbers, mostly unarmed youths, were
killed by security forces last year in street riots sparked by
the death of a teenager in police custody.
"We rejected these elections for several reasons, the
first is a political reason; we have reached a political dead
end because the present institutions came to power by massive
fraud in 1995, 1997 and 1999 and we believe that fraud will be
rife in these elections too," said Socialist Forces Front
(FFS) spokesman Ahmed Djeddai.
"I am sure that there will be a huge boycott of the
elections, not because the parties called for the boycott but
because the people do not care about these elections, the
people do not see a way out or any solution to the social
problems that they have to live with. I think there will be a
massive boycott, but you can be sure that the government will
release official statistics showing the number of people
boycotting the elections to be as small as they can,"
reinforced editor-in-chief of El-Youm newspaper Nacerddine
Aloui.
But the current Prime Minister and leader of the National
Liberation Front (FLN) Party Ali Benflis disputed the charges
of fraud in the upcoming poll: "How can we improve the laws?
By changing them. How to change them? Through parliament. To
bring new ideas is also to bring new people into parliament.
So once again, use the ballots and the vote in order to bring
change here," he said.
The National Liberation Front (FLN) -- the former dominant
force in Algeria's post-independence one-party state and
rejuvenated in recent months by Prime Minister Ali Benflis --
was favoured to win most seats ahead of the ruling National
Democratic Rally (RND), which had 156 seats in the outgoing
381-strong chamber.
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