Algeria advances media, political reforms

Reactions from Algerians are mixed about the reforms begun by the government.

By Mouna Sadek for Magharebia in Algiers – 16/09/11

Algeria's Council of Ministers on Monday (September 12th) endorsed several reform measures promised by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika last April.

Under the proposed Information Law, the media sector would be opened up for competition, press offences would be decriminalized, and a regulatory body would strengthen press freedoms. Another bill aims to ensure transparency in political party financing and fight corruption in politics

For many press and opposition figures, however, the measures do not go far enough.

"There's nothing new, or virtually nothing." El Watan newspaper wrote. "We notice that the President of the Republic and his ministers have failed to revolutionize Algerian legislation on political practices, the way that associations work, or media conduct."

Despite its complaints, the newspaper did submit plans for a new television and radio station for approval.

Another newspaper, L'Expression, warned about the new challenges raised by the changes which have taken place over recent months in the Arab world.

"Many people in the Middle East and North Africa," said the newspaper's editorial, "have been rising up since the start of the year, with more democracy and greater personal and public freedom as their goals. Algeria would be wrong to stop short of those demands. It could even strive to be the driving force behind reforms in its region."

For the National Liberation Front (FLN), the new bill shows progress in political practices, the party's communications chief Kassa Aissi told Magharebia. "The issue of registration receipts to those seeking approval is a step forward."

National Democratic Assembly (RND) spokesperson Miloud Chorfi expressed "great satisfaction" with the approval of these "far-reaching" plans which, he said, were "proof of the State's commitment to its promises".

The tone adopted by the other party in the presidential alliance, the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), was more measured.

"It's fine to draft bills, but they will do little to help if they are not acted upon," MSP communications officer Mohamed Djemaâ told Magharebia.

The opposition parties, meanwhile, view the reforms with disenchantment.

The longest-standing opposition party, the Front of Socialist Forces (FFS), spoke of its "conviction" that the process of reforms upon which the Algerian government had embarked "will not go the right way".

Hocine Ait Ahmed's party also spoke out against "the persistence of security-centered attitudes and actions in Algeria", and called on its political partners to "refuse to be blackmailed by talk of instability and insecurity in the Maghreb area" and to "reject dubious deals on the economy and energy".

Algerian Human Rights League (LADDH) Chairman Boudjemaâ Ghachir expressed disappointed at what the bill said about the associations. "Once you get under the rather attractive wrapping, the present itself is poison," he told El Watan.

"In fact, there a several constraints and restrictions on the freedom of association tucked away in the new law, the LADDH head said.

But some in the media are enthusiastic about the audio-visual field being opened up to competition.

"It was about time," said Ahmed Bedjaoui, a film consultant at the Ministry of Culture and a former ENTV production director. "For once, Algeria is no longer appearing on the international front pages with news about terrorism. The whole world is seeing this new openness in Algeria in a positive light," he told L'Expression.

"We've been waiting forever for this to happen," Bedjaoui added.

Algerians, too, seem to look favorably upon the idea of opening up the media to the private sector.

"I hope the State will follow through on this," said Mourad Saoudi, a primary school teacher. "Algerian state television is an embarrassment. It's about time that Algerians were able to recognize themselves on the television channels which are supposed to represent them."

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/09/16/feature-03.