FIS electoral base: “who pays more?”

Opinions of senior members of the dissolved-Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) about the party’s position towards the next presidential elections are different.

A number of the FIS’ founders say its base still exists but can not be mobilized while others believe that there are people who want to elect it but not in the same number as that of the 1990’s.

“I don’t think that the FIS’ electors are as much as they used to be early in the 1990’s. Still, we can say they are not negligible,” Hachemi Sahnouni, one of the party’s founders told Echorouk on the phone.

“The electors are divided. Conflicts exist even between the FIS’ leaders and its historic founders,” he added.

Speaking about the party’s electoral base, he said some supported President Bouteflika in the 2004’s elections. “I was one of them as I wanted the Reconciliation project to succeed. Others supported the other candidate Ali Benflis.”

Asked about his position toward the next presidential elections, Sahnouni said he can not have a clear position as the situation is still unclear.

“If Bouteflika runs for office, the game will be over.”

According to Sahnouni, Islamist parties will not agree on one single candidate.

Madani Mezrag, leader of the dissolved-Islamic Salvation Army said the FIS’ base can not be neglected but it is difficult to mobilize it either to vote or to boycott the elections.

“I think that the FIS’ members will deal with the next elections as individuals and not as a bloc. Personally, I have not voted since the legislative elections won by the FIS,” he added.

Ahmed Merani, another founder and former religious affairs minister believes that the FIS’ electors can not make the difference today as it used to do in previous elections.

“I don’t think that all those who voted for the FIS believed in its principles. Because of that, we can not say that its base is solid. In the 1990’s elections, the party won 3 million votes out of 7 million. Today, voters are estimated at 1.5 million. That means Algerian people are out of the game,” he told Echorouk on the phone.

“The problem is that candidates are not able to convince Algerian people to cast ballots,” he added.

Sociology professor at the University of Algiers Zubeir Arous says it is difficult to supervise the FIS’ electors due to its “sociological character.”

“The FIS was not a political party but a popular movement with a social character. Because of that, it is difficult to predict its electoral trends,” he told Echorouk on the phone.