Chief of the Algerian Army Ahmed Kayed Salah’s declaration to enact an Article from the Algerian Constitution which removes Abdelaziz Bouteflika from the presidency has raised controversy. Some are supportive of it while others see it as similar to Egypt’s scenario and a threat to the state’s civility.
Weeks after massive protests, Kayed Salah’s team demanded the taking constitutional measures to declare that Bouteflika was unfit for the presidency, which marked the end of his twenty-year tenure.
There were different reactions to Kayed Salah’s speech, as those loyal to power agreed with him, while others did not. Some of the opposition members criticized this step and considered to have been made too late and that it was not in line with the demands of Bouteflika’s opponents.
Furthermore, Salah’s team said that a solution must be found to put an end to the crisis, one that responds to the legitimate demands of the Algerian people, respects the Constitution and that is collectively agreed upon. This solution, as they claim, is found in Article 102 of the Constitution, which states that: “In case the president could not perform his presidential duties due to illness, the Constitutional Council meets accordingly, and after the case is proven, it is agreed by all to propose it to the parliament, and then the Constitutional Council formally declares that Bouteflika is unfit to be president, by a decision that the parliament must enact through the majority of thirds.”
In that light, former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said that Salah’s latest step is a response to the people’s demands and a way to prevent the country from entering a constitutional void; he also added that this decision put an end to a foreign conspiracy against the country, and preserved an exit for the president, as well as forming a complete link between the army and the people.
Furthermore, as a comparison to other experiences of the Arab Spring, the protests are not defiant of the law or the army—as was the case in the Tunisian revolution (2010-2011) out of which the Arab Spring emerged—and the army could embark on a transitional path as one of many solutions.
Whether the protests take a violent or peaceful turn depends on how the security forces deal with them. If they respond in a professional manner, as they did during the latest protests where they only interfered when protesters approached governmental institutions, then there is hope that the protesters will not resort to violence.
However, does the opposition accept Kayed Salah’s declaration or does it see it as interference in political affairs? And is the announcement of a presidential vacancy enough to meet the peoples’ demands? Or will the protests by millions of Algerians and their demands to change the current regime, which they claim is responsible for the country’s crises—including unemployment and corruption—really change the country?
A crossroad is reached: on one side, there are those who defend the current state of affairs and who support Bouteflika and the governing of institutions, and there are those who want to reestablish the institutions of the country, and who see that the government has broken down and its decisions have become less clear and more random, and that it is unfit to lead a country. Further, as Michael Al Ayari asked, in case the opposing parties move toward a fifth mandate, between those who are demanding the “reconstruction of institutions” and those who defend the current state of affairs, will there be a risk of violence?
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