Emergency state lifting passed by overwhelming majority in Algeria Parliament

Algeria’s Parliament passed on Wednesday an ordinance relating to lifting of state of emergency which was approved by the cabinet, about a month ago.

• Deputies of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) and the Algerian National Front (FNA) did not voted the text as they had frozen their participation in parliamentary activities.
•  
• Earlier on February 22^nd, the cabinet adopted a draft bill to ban a legislative decree of February 6^th, 1993 relating to extension of state of emergency instituted on February 9^th, 1992.
•  
• Algerian justice minister Taib Belaiz said the decision to lift the state of emergency came as security was restored and the situation was stable. “The National Reconciliation achieved impressing results. Algerians were unified and they regain hope.”
•  
• He believes that the state of emergency was imposed by security reality in the 1990’s and its repercussion on people’s life.
•  
• The lifting of state of emergency was a principal claim in weekly protests held by opposition members in Algiers.
•  
• The president of the Algerian League for Human Rights Defence Mustapha Bouchachi said the decision is positive but is not sufficient. “We want real opening of political, media and social activities so that people will be able to practice democracy by themselves.”
•  
• US President Barrack Obama called the lifting of state of emergency a “positive sign” the government was responding to its people’s aspirations.
•  
• UK Foreign Office welcomed the decision and considered it as a “significant and important step towards democracy for the Algerian people.”