Algeria swears in a new president after an election few people wanted protesters rejected. As illegitimate so how will he manage his critics and can he ends months of demonstrations demanding political change this is inside story. Hello and welcome to the program. For the 1st time in 20 years algeria has a president who isnt. The former leader step down in april 1000 people rallied against his bid for a 5th term in office but it appears many people are also unhappy with the man taking over. A sworn in on thursday after winning last weeks election which had the lowest turnout in algeria as history at less than 40 percent the former Prime Minister was one of 5 candidates who all had ties with. To boone has offered to hold talks with protesters who for 10 months ive been calling for a complete overhaul of the political system he says the election put algeria back on the path to legitimacy. In the you could be. A big success of the fruits of the Civil Movement people felt that things needed to be changed in order to sculpt with the minds of the states and. I sincerely thank the citizens for the contribution to the 6. Since this Democratic Free and transparent process i thank them for their competence so who was a bit of a boon while the 73 year old businessman didnt enter politics until he was in his fortys that was in the early 1990 s. And 2017 he served as Prime Minister for less than 3 months before being dismissed by the former president of the law. Will need to win over antigovernment protesters who say the election was a ploy by the old guard to maintain very grip on politics and hell have to try and fix a struggling economy and a g. Revenues have been declining forcing severe cuts to state spending but the biggest test for the new president could be his relationship with the military the powerful army chief general of the gods a son of called the election after booth a step down. Lets introduce the panel here in the high use of beyond those joining us hes a professor of Political Science and International Relations at Qatar University in algiers finest bakhash is a Research Fellow at the school for advanced studies in the social sciences also in algiers via skype is to him then and kazi associate fellow with the middle east the north Africa Program at Chatham House welcome to you all thanks very much for joining us im going way back another to the new president to boone has been sworn in talk us through what the mood is in the country and and whats being said well i think that this is business as usual you know that the Elgin Mission has always used max function. From the people you know to actually into knives then and to stand so once again people were of where were going to get freedom. They have a new president and according to the regime that. Hope it goes full then this is old the same old risk hes. President was the armys tried. To everything in order to not negotiate with the people and especially not to negotiate a transition some of the mood within the hill act is that riots are protests are going to go on that is why its maybe in some of the country yet many of the americans and all this out of the regime they are trying to do what they have done a cop trying to talk about the youth ranks about to talk about the renewal and of the constitution and yes it should without having any kind of form so yes business as usual and again and still the statement and even though im allowed to stick with you for a moment in his speech earlier on thursday he did say that a comprehensive Strategic Plan must be laid to pass the current political situation and to also begin reforming the country what do you make of those words and was there anything else for you that you took away from the speech well i called into the head act and according to all internal and external observers any serious change in the country wont be able to add and east the the army is not able to think about its own about the way it is actually living and using city and politics i mean everyone does not doubt that it would have been chosen by the are made up by the people and if the army again is not busy to chance parents and the girl she should post as with the people that want to be in you and thought of us that this should that somehow thats going whats the ideal a minute you know is that on the contrary to the old they revulsion of. Of the old Political Class hes not willing or you have not ruled under oath you were. Part live yes then. But still i mean he has you have any apart. The old regime and again its program was quite sick with no. Hope you know i did too and you know so we should stop she was obdurate its a lousy army ok lets bring in 10 and then boom in his speech on thursday also he did say that he extends his hand to the protest movement the head arc for a dialogue how do you think the protest movement going to respond to that i think it will not be easy for him to come down the streets many people see him as somebody who represents the consumer of the only year ian walker is the elder insistent and people are not happy about this because when people took to the streets in february 19th of this year it was about radical change it was about transforming the political regime in the meaningful way and clearly have been does not represent this structure with the old system so it will be complicated for him to to change the you know to come down with screens in his speech today mainly spoke about reforming the constitution and you know it very much seems like a new. System to kind of keep things going and continue the war without introducing and you will change but people are very much aware of this many argue that he was not elected and that the official numbers that say that he was elected with over 58 percent of the voices are wrong and that he was basically appointed by the military and so its going to be complicated and hard for him to convince the streets there is a huge gap of trust in. Her and he will have to make very significant moves to calm down the protesters on the street and you yourself. This very recently as paradoxical as this may be canceling the electoral process schedule. Old for december the 12th would be a win for the democratic struggle in algeria now that the election went ahead and you have a new president that has been sworn in do you see this then as a setback for the democratic struggle as you put it in algeria its clearly some sort of win for the regime however i dont think that. Because people are continuing to protest people are a conscious thought this president likely to to a seat and so the regime is not in this powerful posture because the blue very much likes to to see and this is why hes trying to engage in dialogue with the head and people within the of positions to the society he feels hes leadership is weak and had be contested and so its still a battle and i think the good side is that the people in the streets are still protesting and so it we will have to sit out a negotiating table at some point to negotiate odorous imma cry to transition ok yes abandon my 2 guests from algeria they seem to say this is business as usual how do you see all of this and the same question to the president has proposed dialogue with the head off movement is this a good move is this a perhaps a new chapter in algerian politics would see it as a new chapter in algiers politics when the iraq begun on the 22nd of february the 1st thing that they asked for is no 5th done for the president but for the car thats the main demand and weeks went by the demand to see did of demands has increased obviously regardless of what of a husband president to be president of up today. So many people talk about he lacks legitimacy and so on and so forth which i understand but i would argue that legitimacy has never been in an important issue in politics arguably the most popular president s of algeria. And wondered what the of both of them were not elected. For instance came to power to put it up and boudia off came to power brought in by the military after the consideration of the little process in january the 1991 obviously what the elections has done today is divided the people. The big division that weve been listening to the late eightys and early ninetys between socalled islamist radicals and the radicals we did in the military even before. The to boone was sworn in as president somebody of the hillock while talking about negotiations or the log i agree with. Your 2nd guest formal g. Is that the main problem in algiers Politics Today is lack of trust. The boom made the in his speech he made some some kind of promises that he will be inclusive you talked about a new algerian a new republic that means hes talking about a break away from past practices plot ective and so on and so forth which as far as i can tell is music to. Everybody in algeria. But the problem is to what extent is he going to deliver on this and where the algerians would believe him now. I guess that the 1st 3 or 4 months of his tenure in office will determine to what extent hes going to go with his policies and this is something that was just that was brought up from i guess in algeria to what extent is the military going to be sort of pulling the strings behind the scenes. The algerian military has always been put into strings behind the scenes since before 962 every single algerian president since 962 until today has always been a military man all enjoyed the support of the military so the military was not going to go away it will always be. It may act as a watch dog as long as its interests are not. Affected by what the president is going to do i think that he will get the support he needs from them i meant to what extent can he actually so that hes not part of the ruling powers. Can he so that hes going to pursue differently i think if i mean this is not a good question we should choose the arab league and here we are asking about the incidents towards do you act as if you told us chirac who has in the hands the solutions the power to reformists to sions and to have all of the will to control the police and pressure for example we should shift the paradigm and ask about if we are to talk about the boom has a president he used to go it will to have any kind of influence all the army will be able for example to fragment all too clearly the divergence that oh already exists within the army circles as bush just so by putting get get in the side in 2004 at the end of the army and marginalizing generals who are when they were asked to been discovered since i dont think so and thats where the discipline that weve actually i dont think that will be able to work on carraige are to put pressure on the army in order to arm from within in larger soporific pricing were pressing people i mean the same day he was talking about that i woke oh a lot of people in what about an hour and a whisper got called by one request and this has launched a total Solidarity Campaign throughout the country with the they were oppressed the most just also just so this is really the question have now what kind of leadership can be put on the army commitments you know are to should do politics for real and not just about golf having the civilian president once again ok lets put that question. Ok ok lets put that point of view. Is he going to be able to put pressure on the army well i think this is going to be a big challenge and you know usually because so many argue that he has quite a close relationship to. Mr general gates that it will be difficult for him to you know kind of back the military you know into a smaller position within the culture in political scene so this is going to be a real challenge however regarding the head out he will have to make important if he is to come down the streets so it just wasnt me so a moment for counting all those 300 political detainees these are people who were arrested and put into jail for their political views and several students and young people were sent to jail for. Basically carrying the verbal flag so these people would have to be released immediately before engaging in any kind of negotiation with the with the head. Or with the Civil Society also the media the media are completely closed and shut down in algeria and you person presenting differing views from those of the regime. Into public media and private media as well the Justice System is completely controlled politically and has served as a tool of the political system for the case so if the voom wants to calm down the situation he will have to show that there are significant changes in the way the judiciary system functions in the way you know that the media functions also the political scene is completely controlled its very complicated not to read to you party or an association or to voice views that are radically of those to those of the system in place and so i think that one will have to make important moves if he. To. Appease the head up and down. And i dont think any serious negotiation dialogue can be the gate without important moves from the region and from the head oxides the man was outlining a few points of the want to see i mean for you what would constitute a victory for the movement i think if president. Ensures that his promises. Fulfilled because he made a number of promises during his election money 1st. Election Campaign Even though it was limited and also in his speech on thursday so i guess if boone style some sort of a process of reform like he said that would be something very tangible obviously its very very early cause there were the bone was inaugurated on thursday. Friday saturday is to do we care and and obviously its i think it would be a mistake to to condemn him at this stage i would say for at least now lets try to give him the benefit of the doubt and i understand hes doubtless given the slug of these important lack of trust between the new rules and the ruled but. The board has a very very very difficult job to do not necessarily the bailout but buckley in the Socio Economic problems that people. Are that i wanted to ask you about talk to us about some of the economic problems because they run deep in algeria very deep in algeria for instance we can talk about unemployment lot of housing but the minimum wage which is about 18000 dinars which is not enough for a family to live on fall lets say week corruption which is a very very important issue and we saw so many oligarchs. In jail and called in to paul to do Something Like 480 cases opened against formal offices. They say former officials i mean people. Anybody who held a position of responsibility would be will answer for his or her influence. From the computer and called the flow and so on and so forth so these are a very very important issues that the board on the economic social side has to did with one so on the legal constitutional side he will have to face those particular things as an order of blanche. And i think that he should own so free that was political a pleased was if they have a case to answer before a Competent Court of law tried them otherwise they should be freed he talked about for his does the media he talked about a new constitution he talked about the foundation for the new republic all that was doing when take time and i think if he fulfills at least some of the promises he will stock slowly he will start to the to when alls well some voters obviously there will be some extremists i would even after a year. And a half they will never again agree with him and they will always about him but i think hes got a very daunting job to do and its not going to be easy. To do the selection and sir any of the demands of the head off movement for you at all we were just talking about the economic situation. And that decision has to have in order to so youve got to make prizes and thats doing a lot to 1st. Actually on the mast he said at the time how do you guys and now his oldest eyes on corruption bad going to start a new economy to iraq i mean do you really think that having this trials is without any structural reforms. Would be a mouse to have a proper its in the me situation in all especially these trials and just its i mean everybody is in full even that all of us. So many insults and by the way the using corruption trials in order to put pressure on people they watch to death they want to work with them are not as always been a classical tool on the side of the young generation so correction that im going to try and youre not and then you have to the last night. And see that still coming on subsidies and would just shut up demand of crandalls of the rats actually and that thats not to be able because they dont have the money to do so but actually i think the act is already beyond that i dont want to sound too that they are kids always trying to chew and is tired of want you local Political Authority all delusion that means that the dogs recognize and did not acknowledge the parliament to make not only to use it didnt end the party but also any kind of classical tool that the duration will try to impose upon them to do politics without trying to do politics on their all and people are talking are some months now and it has the election has accelerated these debates theyre talking about organizing their own referendum talking about organizing theyre all elections out talking about this some transitional or decrease objective ness to local communities so it will be quite difficult to do that because secure each area repression is still very very important so let. Me just ask you then about the peaceful nature or the relatively peaceful nature of the demonstrations that weve seen so far emma and is there a risk that this changes look im sure that it will still try to request somehow some parts of outrage out there will try actually break. Through just and thats something that will be very difficult to go back to massive like in the ninetys. Just look at your army and im not talking about the 2 men and asked do you know the military is as well somehow chopped as that church in the light and that is that they havent they havent been sensational point and that. A lot of the constellations that defacto gave to nazi generals and actually the question of the state of doubt describes remains and that is as you can work is done well and thats also pushed back. The happy couples the show let me just jump in there for the sake of time and to the man the last question over to you we were just hearing about the 1990 s. Obviously in the civil war then to what extent does this legacy of the civil war factor at all into the calculations of people today as algerians continue with their struggle and they take a forward well i think i think there is a new generation and this is the movement shows that the head archimedes shows is that people who over who were born during the 1990 s. You know john very much have this souvenir of the war and so theyre willing to go further and demand more rights and more change so for many years the regime has used the threat of violence and threat and you know the kind of insisted on in the violence and the horror that algeria went through during the 1990 s. To kind of keep people calm and to keep them from demanding any significant political change but now theres this post doesnt work anymore and i actually get one of the slogans of the head out people say. d you know basically we are not a threat to any more knowledge area is not syria or libya so while the discourse of violence and the threat of violence has having to been used by the regime it seems that its not an argument that has been well all right so i am not a leave it. Thank you thank you very much for joining us from algeria to thank you as well. Youre with us and oh how we thank you for joining us on inside story thanks for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting our website aljazeera dot com you can go for further discussion to our Facebook Page facebook dot com forward slash a. J. Inside story you can join the conversation on twitter our handle is a very inside story for myself and the whole thing here in the house thanks for watching but i. Can be rebuilt. Its buildings restored. But can shattered lives be mended. Scars randy and traumas shaped minds children and survivors of mosul share their stories. I still tomorrow a witness documentary on aljazeera. From the aljazeera London Bureau cost center 2 special guests in conversation this is the chance to start the revolution unprompted uninterrupted we need to do away with the way because it stops a conversation which should begin to put on meat can be this is the beginning of friendship this is the beginning of love right like were getting somewhere we can really break through the barriers studio unscripted on aljazeera. Well you. Know some other like. This is al jazeera im sorry you know with a check on your world headlines mass protests are going on in new delhi and elsewhere in india against the citizenship law that opponents see as anti muslim 3 protesters were shot and killed on thursday and hundreds were detained the new law offers a path to citizenship for persecuted minorities from 3 neighboring countries but excludes muslims so we distrust the reports from new delhi there is a each crowd since the morning the crowds have. Been and there are like hundreds of people around here its key it keeps on going and the people who are the over here are chanting the street chanting for the constitution and theyre chanting to
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