By Arezki Daoud: 2 June 2019: The Algerian presidential election scheduled by the regime to take place on 4 July 2019 has been cancelled. On Sunday 2 June, the country’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, announced the “postponement” after it rejected the applications of two hopefuls, announcing “the impossibility of holding the presidential election on 4 July.” The decision will be welcomed by the population, which rejected massively the plan, demanding more time and new leadership to manage the transition. The Council now sends the ball back to the Interim President, who the public wants out, asking him to choose a new date.
The announcement comes within the context of high political tension, in particular following the death of human rights activist Kamel Eddine Fekhar, while he was in police custody. There is however a glimmer of hope, with the country’s strong-man-by-default, army chief General Gaid Salah calling for ideas and inviting the protest movement to come up with suggestions. The General’s 28 May speech was welcomed by most politicians on all sides and militants who see his conciliatory tone that the military command is genuine in its call for a transition driven by civilians.
Meanwhile, the fate of Interim President Bensalah, Prime Minister Bedoui and the head of the National Assembly Bouchouareb appears to be sealed. With the collapse of the 4 July election, they are likely to leave government, paving the way something different, a situation that is unprecedented in Algeria’s history since independence. There is however one risk is that delaying a smooth transition will only bring Algeria back into a system that will be dominated by the military and a new regime similar to the one that managed the “black decade” of the 1990s.
Algeria ends its Sunday, 2 June 2019 with excellent news. Let’s hope it will have the wisdom to manage what’s coming next.
