Algeria Demonstrations and Strikes Rock the Regime
Hundreds of thousands of
people, predominantly youth came
on to the streets of capital Algiers,
port city of Bejaia and other towns
shouting slogans like “Killer
regime”, “Downfall of the regime”
and “Thieves, you have eaten the
country”. March 8 th is the third
consecutive Friday protest since
the ruling National Liberation Front
announced that it will field
Bouteflika as the candidate for
presidential election for fifth term
which are to held be in April this
year.
The first three months of this
has seen growing strike actions in
Algeria, including by port workers,
two-day country wide strike by
teachers in February and transport
workers strike in Kabilya region.
Workers at the massive Tayal
textile factory which exports to
Europe, launched an indefinite
strike on February 27 against
gruelling working conditions and
wage that is below the legal
minimum. Autoworkers at the
Hyundai assembly plant Tiaret
launched a strike against their
working conditions. National
Teachers Federation, which
includes university lecturers has
called a nationwide strike on March
13 and already teachers are
joining the protests by students.
Sensing the peoples anger the
NLF government announced that
Bouteflika would resign as
president in a year after his re-
election and appointed another
cabinet minister as the Prime
minister. Yet the people are
determined and large parts of
Algeria were brought to a standstill.
The national train network
came to a screeching halt. In the
capital Algiers, metros, buses and
April, May - 2019
trams did not run. Intercity private
bus services were stopped.
Teachers joined the strike and
closed most of the middle and high
schools. Students organised
demonstrations in various cities
and towns. All universities have
been closed. In an attempt to pre-
empt the strike, the government
announced that holidays would be
started 10 days earlier.
Workers shut down the port of
Bejaia as well as Cevital plant,
which is the largest private
company in Algeria, that produces
sugar, oil and agriproducts.
Workers struck in HassiMessaoud
oil field in eastern Algeria owned
by state owned mining company as
well as oil fields at HassiR’mel,
HassiBerkine and Ininenas.
Workers of state-run electricity and
gas distribution company, Sonelgaz
also struck work.
What is driving the workers
and people of Algeria into struggle?
A report by the Algerian Human
Rights League in 2015 found that
35 percent of the population, or
some 14 million people, live on a
poverty wage of less than US$1.25
per day. Over 90 percent of
households reported that their
living standards have fallen since
the decline of oil prices in 2014, and
the average purchasing power of
a family fell by 60 percent over that
period. The unemployment rate for
youth is almost a third, and more
than two thirds of the population is
below the age of 30. Meanwhile,
wealth has been concentrated in
the hands of a tiny class of
billionaires and multimillionaires
that controls the regime and the
opposition parties. The report
stated that 10 percent of the
Algerian population owned 80
percent of the country’s wealth.
The deteriorating conditions of
life is driving the people into
struggles against the corrupt
regime of Bouteflika - who has not
spoken publicly since a 2013 stroke
and is widely seen as a figurehead
for the ruling cabal in the military,
security services and his family.
The opposition parties are
supporting the movement against
Bouteflika, but they are no less
hostile towards workers and
people. They are pronouncing the
same policies that had thrown the
people of Algeria in poverty and
misery. Their only aim to reshuffle
of personnel wielding the power.
Thus, a political game to subdue
the peoples anger and to gain
power had begun.
As mass strikes spread across
Algeria for the second day, the
regime issued a statement in the
name of figurehead president
Abdelaziz Bouteflika on March 11th,
postponing elections indefinitely
and pledging that Bouteflika will not
seek a fifth term.
The regime’s announcement is
meeting none of the demands of
the workers and youth. While it
claims Bouteflika will not stand
again for re-election, by extending
his current term indefinitely he is
being continued in his post.
Elections previously scheduled for
April 18 are to be postponed to at
least after 2019.
The regime will appoint what it
calls an “inclusive and independent
national conference,” which is to
draft a new constitution and set the
date for new elections. An un-
specified “government of national
unity is to be formed.” Bouteflika is
to oversee the new “constitutional
institutions to ensure they adhere
scrupulously to the accomplish-
ment of their mission.”
J
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