ALGERIA: The League for the Defence of Human Rights presents the first results in a media monitoring operation ahead of the legislative election

Record ID: 574105

  • Title: ALGERIA: The League for the Defence of Human Rights presents the first results in a media monitoring operation ahead of the legislative election
  • Date: 9th May 2012
  • Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (MAY 8, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOP VIEW OF DOWNTOWN ALGIERS VARIOUS OF STREET SCENE IN DOWNTOWN ALGIERS SIGN AT ENTRANCE OF ALGERIAN LEAGUE FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS (LADDH) HEADQUARTERS MAN SPEAKING AT PRESS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (FRENCH) PRESIDENT OF THE ALGERIAN LEAGUE FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, NOUR-EDDINE BENISSAD, SAYING: "We have been living now, since the state of emergency, in 1992 -- for 20 years now -- there has been a sort of disaffection. Political action has been demonised, the conditions that were necessary for the birth of civil society were never created, no for the exercise of our freedom and, in a general way, for freedom of expression. As a result the political and the audiovisual fields have been closed for a very long time, and you should not expect miracles in three months time to rehabilitate the political." STREET SCENE IN DOWNTOWN ALGIERS SIGN FOR PICHON AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN ALGIERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF THE ALGERIAN LEAGUE FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, NOUR-EDDINE BENISSAD, SAYING: "The Solution, for us, is to review all the legislative texts, specifically what we have done, political reforms, in order to get more openness, to drive towards the birth of civil society and towards a communal movement. We must create the conditions to rehabilitate the political in order to create the conditions that will bring about democracy." VARIOUS OF POLITICAL POSTERS ON WALL THE "GRANDE POSTE" VARIOUS OF SIGNBOARDS WITH POLITICAL POSTERS
  • Embargoed: 24th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Algeria
  • Country: Algeria
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA69UPKTD33XMN1YQY3TAL5QL6B
  • Story Text: An Algerian human rights group presented on Tuesday (May 8) the first results from a media monotoring operation which observed coverage by the state and private television channels, radio stations and newspapers ahead of the country's legislative election on May 10.
    The president of the Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH) spoke about the operation process and its importance at a news conference in Algiers.
    "We have been living now, since the state of emergency, in 1992 -- for 20 years now -- there has been a sort of disaffection. Political action has been demonised, the conditions that were necessary for the birth of civil society were never created, no for the exercise of our freedom and, in a general way, for freedom of expression. As a result the political and the audiovisual fields have been closed for a very long time, and you should not expect miracles in three months time to rehabilitate the political," Nour-Eddine Benissad told reporters.
    "The Solution, for us, is to review all the legislative texts, specifically what we have done, political reforms, in order to get more openness, to drive towards the birth of civil society and towards a communal movement. We must create the conditions to rehabilitate the political in order to create the conditions that will bring about democracy," he added.
    In Algeria, even those who owe their livelihoods to the government find it hard to muster enthusiasm for a parliamentary election this week that few believe will change anything.
    The election on May 10 is turning out to be not so much a contest between political parties as between those who think people should vote and those who don't want to.
    A big turnout matters greatly to the authorities in this energy-producing north African state.
    Under pressure to change after the "Arab Spring" upheavals in neighboring countries, they are casting the election as an important step towards democratic reform, and need people to vote in large numbers to lend it legitimacy.
    But a large segment of the population is mistrustful of elections which, as the president himself has admitted, have been unfair in the past.
    These people believe this week's vote will be no different and will either boycott it or - more likely - just not bother to show up.
    Many people don't see how the election will affect their day-to-day preoccupations around unemployment, periodic shortages of goods, poor housing and high prices.
    Thursday's vote is expected to be the fairest and most transparent in two decades. Twice as many parties are taking part as in the last election five years ago and the European Union is sending observers for the first time.
    With no reliable opinion polls, it is hard to judge how many people will ultimately abstain. Because of efforts to make the election more fair, the turnout may not be as low as last time, when it was 35 percent. A figure even close to that would be a rebuke to the authorities and their pledge to re-connect with voters, however.
    For one thing, the parliament has very limited powers under Algeria's constitution. For another, after decades of rigged elections, it is likely to take more than one credible election to restore people's confidence.
    It was the military-backed government's annulment of a parliamentary election in 1991, which a hardline Islamist movement was poised to win, that sparked fighting between Islamist insurgents and state security which has killed an estimated 200,000 people. The conflict is still going on but has subsided considerably.
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