Algeria's political parties call for peaceful reforms despite disputes on procedures

ALGIERS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Algeria's opposition National Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD) on Saturday failed again to organize a march to demand wide political reforms in the country, although the march coincided with calls for comprehensive reforms and change by both the opposition and pro-government parties.

About 40 CNCD supporters led by human rights activist Ali Yahia Abdenour rallied Saturday near the May 1 Square in downtown Algiers, but the mass presence of police forces prevented them from reaching the square, a witness told Xinhua.

The march organized by CNCD coincided with calls for reforms and change by both the opposition and pro-government parties, despite their disputes on ways to carry out reforms.

State Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem said the political initiatives by the opposition, civil society organizations and political figures for a peaceful change "show healthy political practice and pluralism in Algeria."

The political reform has become the main topic for political parties and the media, after Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika decided to launch new political reforms to cope with huge economic projects that the government has been implementing in the last decade to achieve comprehensive development in the North African country.

One of the most controversial topics between political parties is the way to amend the constitution. Abdelaziz Belkhadem said that his party is against the idea of the dissolution of the parliament and early general elections.

Belkhadem, also the head of the National Liberation Front (FLN) which is a major party at the parliament, said Wednesday in an interview with state-owned radio channel that he rejected establishing a constitutional council that would gather representatives of political forces in the country.

In this regard, Belkhadem said such proposals would deny all the achievements made since the independence in 1962, yet, "we endorse the proposal of proceeding to a radical revision to the constitution."

The revision of the Algerian constitution is necessary because the present constitution "was elaborated in different circumstances from those prevailing today," he added.

The statements of Belkhadem come amid demands of the opposition to dissolve the parliament, and establish a constitutional council to prepare for a new democratic era, during which free and transparent parliamentary and presidential elections will be held, and a new constitution will be set.

Hocine Ait Ahmed, one of the pillars of the Algerian Revolution (1954-1962) and the leader of the Socialist Forces Front (FFS), the oldest opposition party in Algeria, said in a letter to the Algerian people, in which he called for "peaceful democratic alternative, through voting on a constitutional council, to be in charge of establish a authentic constitutional to Algeria."

"For sure, an era with its references and means of domination, has just ended, while a new era is emerging, bringing with it new actors, new generation and new means of struggle," Ait Ahmed said.

Head of the left wing Labor Party Luisa Hanoune who endorses the proposal of dissolving the parliament and voting on a constitutional council said the current parliament "failed and is not qualified to amend the constitution, because it is residue of the terrorism era."

Meanwhile, Abu Djerra Soltani, the head of the Muslim brotherhood Movement for Society of Peace (MSP) which is one of the three-party alliance in power, said "the change in Algeria is inevitable, and likely to occur within three, six months, or a year at the latest."

Soltani further indicated that "reforms announced by the government, so far, are not the ideal solution, because they have been elaborated without the consult of the rest of social partners, " adding that "although they are (reforms) acceptable, they are still not enough."

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-03/27/c_13799610.htm.