Algeria’s Islamists call for an independent election committee to supervise elections

Algeria’s Islamist party, the Movement of Society for Peace, has called for the establishment of an Independent National Electoral Commission to supervise the country’s upcoming elections and guarantees their fairness.

In a statement released on Sunday, the movement’s leader Abderrazak Makri welcomed the announcement of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika regarding the implementation of new measures to monitor the elections, saying this proves that the opposition’s demands have finally reached the ruling circles.

However, Makri said this alone was not enough and that the country needs to do much more to guarantee the fairness of the voting process.

“The problem in the Algerian election is not about censorship, but the entire electoral system which requires re-examination,” he said.

Makri accused the Algerian authorities of exploiting the opposition national spirit, saying that “the regime knows that the opposition political parties did not choose until now to go out to the street to defend their rights which are being robbed during every election.”

“The opposition parties’ decision not to escalate things after every fraud committed during pervious elections stems from their desire to maintain the country’s stability; but the political regime exploits this national spirit and allows itself to declare election results that are entirely false,” he added.

“Therefore, the solution is to have an independent committee that guarantees the voters and candidates rights.”

In a letter addressed to the Algerian people on 1 November, Bouteflika pledged to amend the country’s constitution in response to demands for change.