- Title: ALGERIA: Urban poor unenthused about upcoming poll
- Date: 10th May 2012
- Summary: OUTSKIRTS OF ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 8, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SLUM AREA IN ALGIERS CLOTHES HANGING OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
- Embargoed: 25th May 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Algeria
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Politics,People
- Reuters ID: LVA8IR5R2WZKYRSQ1YWS3CHQA54Y
- Story Text: Only a few kilometres away from the centre of the capital, hidden amongst a cluster of tall residential buildings lies one of many slums in Algeria.
The residents of what is known as the 'Civil Concord District' see no reason to vote in the upcoming legislative elections, they say, politicians have made too many promises but few have seen the light of day.
Hundreds of families live in the narrow alleyways of the slum sharing the small accommodation with their children and other relatives.
They were keen to show their houses and explain their apathy for the upcoming elections.
"Do you want me to vote? For whom should I vote? Just tell me for whom should I vote, said 41 year old Gacem Rabeh who has been living in the slum for over 15 years. "Too many candidates have come here and promised to do many things for us, but once they get our votes - we don't hear from the again. We need the politicians to get us out of here, from this neighbourhood, because we are fed up of living here. It has been 15 years of this already."
And another slum resident adds, going through piles of bags outside his house: "I am not convinced of any of these candidates. No one apart from the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika convinces me, not one of these faces convinces me because they are all bluffing and they are all scammers, germs, a cancer," said Mohammed.
There is no common history of the people living in the slums. Some were pushed into it because of poverty; others migrated into the capital after the violence of the past decades. The government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been working on relocating many of the slum residents into free housing, but the pace of progress has left many waiting and frustrated.
"Look, I don't even have anything to put my clothes in," said 29-year old Khadija, a mother of three who shares bedroom with her husband and all three children. "It is too tiny and too humid, so all our clothes smell because of the humidity. Look how we live in one room, me and three children, my son is 10 years old, he is still sharing the same room with me. I have never voted, I can go and vote but when I look at my situation I can't vote for anyone? Why would I vote? Look how I live, if I was having a good life I would (vote). But I expect from the politician I vote for to change my situation, to give me a house and guarantee my children's future,"
The north African country is under pressure to come into line with neighbouring states, where the "Arab Spring" uprisings last year pushed out autocratic leaders and bring hopes of genuine democracy for the first time.
Algeria's authorities say the parliamentary elections on Thursday area stepping stone towards a more democratic state, but many people do not believe their promises, expect only marginal change and will stay away from polling stations.
"For whom should I vote, tell me for whom? There is only our president, we voted for him and we are still with him, but the others are not credible, they give you many promises and they don't keep any of them," said Zoulikha whose house collapsed two months ago in a mud landslide. "We are fed up we can't stand this anymore, I am 50 years and I still don't have stability."
The election is likely to be the most transparent in two decades. More parties than ever before have been allowed to compete, and for the first time the European Union has been invited to monitor the vote.
The problem for the authorities is that many Algerians believe elections change nothing. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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