World

Algeria sees state of emergency over in days

Several hundred protesters took to the streets in the capital Algiers on Saturday against the government.

Reuters February 14, 2011

PARIS: The 19-year-old state of emergency in Algeria will end within days, Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said on Monday, brushing off concerns that recent protests in the country could escalate as in Tunisia and Egypt.

A state of emergency has been in force in Algeria since 1992 and the government has come under pressure from opponents, inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, to ditch emergency laws.

Several hundred protesters took to the streets in the capital Algiers on Saturday and opposition groups said they would demonstrate every weekend until the government is changed.

"In the coming days, we will talk about (the state of emergency) as if it was a thing of the past," Medelci told the French radio station Europe 1 in an interview.

"That means that in Algeria we will have a return to a state of law that allows complete freedom of expression, within the limits of the law," he said.

Recent protests had been organised by minority groups with limited support, the minister said, adding that there was no risk of a government overthrow as in neighbouring Tunisia.

However, he suggested the government may be willing to make concessions, saying: "The decision to change the government lies with the president who will assess the possibility, as he has done in the past, to make adjustments, as he has done in the past."

"Algeria is not Tunisia or Egypt," he added.

The resignation on Friday of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and last month's overthrow of Tunisia's leader, have led many to ask which country could be next in the Arab world.

Widespread unrest in Algeria could have implications for the world economy since it is a major oil and gas exporter, but many analysts have said an Egyptian-style revolt is unlikely because the government can use its energy wealth to placate protesters.

Discontent with joblessness, poor housing conditions and high food prices sparked rioting in early January across the country, but there is so far no sign that this is coalescing into a political movement.

COMMENTS (1)

Alsahdiq | 13 years ago | Reply Coming out on the streets has never been a good strategy for the people as past experiences testify. In the past the Russians came out on the street, the Pakistanis came out on two occassions, the Iranis came out, so many other nations organised such revolutions, but in the end they failed to keep the mometum of revolution thus ended up with another tyrant governing over them. Why? It is very simple to understand. People will be able to keep the mometum in whole of the country only, when they organise to come together in the localities where they live. Come together to consult, to unite to speak with one voice. Come together to organise self help and to achieve their true and effective representation. Those promised elections are absolute fraud and have failed to deliver representation to the masses of the UK, the USA, the EU and masses of all such places where this fraudulent exercise is organised. The right place for the people to choose their representatives is their localities only. Only this way can people make those whom they elect "accountable". Accountability of the elected and the appointed is simply not allowed in the "Fake Democracies" being sold at every street corner by the fraudsters. Those, who in the past brought about most popular revolution in the history of mankind brought revolution in their habits and thinking first. Tribes after tribes and nations after nations fell for such revolution brought about by the Arabs 1400 years ago just because of their exemplary behaviour. They, thus, with their good habits and their ideals of giving top priority to upholding of "Justice" won the hearts and minds of the people. People were so astonished to see these people running their affairs without a King, a Ruler or a Despot. These people did so because they created NOT the authority of any man but created the authority of Lord Almighty. Tyrants can never govern those who create the authority of Lord Almighty, simply because such people come out to shoulder their Civic responsibilty themselves. If people fail to organise themselves as above,they will never be able to liberate themselves from the tyrants. Never. The world history testifies this to be true.

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