Posted on 02/23/2011 8:07:35 PM PST by americanophile
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- In a major concession to Algeria's opposition groups, the government on Tuesday adopted a measure that would lift a 19-year state of emergency that has constrained civil liberties and human rights in the North African oil exporter.
A draft law approved by the Cabinet would repeal the emergency law as soon as it is published in the government's official journal, the official Algerie Presse Service reported.
An opposition leader last week said he had been assured that the state of emergency would be lifted by the end of February.
The emergency measures, long lambasted by international human rights groups, have barred peaceful protests, limited constitutionally granted political freedoms and allowed for what many described as arbitrary detentions.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
The strict conditions were imposed at the beginning of the country’s decade-long civil war, which pitted Islamic militants against a military-dominated government that refused to abide by the results of a 1991 election that suggested Islamists would be ascendant. Tens of thousands died in the conflict.
Algeria paid a heavy price to prevent an Islamist takeover. There is no guarantee that it won’t happen again if free elections are held in the future.
I think the fighting may have only just begun...
“Algeria paid a heavy price to prevent an Islamist takeover. There is no guarantee that it won’t happen again if free elections are held in the future.”
I think the guarantee is that it WILL happen if they have free elections...that’s the primary reason for not permitting them. The people in that part of the world are not interested in democracy, they’re interested in POWER. And if that takes a one-time election, so be it.
Algeria fought a brave war to keep these animals from taking power, but they probably just tired of fighting.
Thanks americanophile.
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