Algeria's opposition to boycott presidential elections

Algeria’s main opposition parties have announced their intention to boycott the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for April 2014. The Movement of Society for Peace and the Rally for Culture and Democracy cited strong chances of fraud and lack of transparency as the main reasons for boycotting the upcoming elections.

The Movement of Society for Peace, Algeria’s largest opposition party, said in a statement that “The Algerian ruling authority is determined to monopolise the presidential elections and ignore the demands of other political parties’ for fair and transparent elections in accordance with the internationally accepted standards. They deliberately dismiss the right of the people to freely choose those who represent and govern them. Therefore, the movement believes the upcoming presidential elections have little chance to introduce political reform. Accordingly, the movement’s consultative (shura) council has decided to boycott the 2014 presidential elections and calls on Algerian activists and the Algerian people to boycott them as well.”

Meanwhile, the Rally for Culture and Democracy spokesperson, Othman Ma’zuz, announced that “the Party’s National Council has decided to boycott the upcoming presidential elections.” The Party’s president, Mohcine Belabbas, said “the upcoming presidential elections have a strong chance of being rigged; a common practice since 1962 and therefore they are doomed to fail”. “The party has been demanding to establish an independent committee to oversee the elections instead of the ministry of interior; however our demand has been ignored and rejected”, he added.