Former Minister of Economy and Finance, Ghazi Haidouci to Echorouk: “No one can replace Bouteflika currently, neither Benflis nor Benbitour”
Ghazi Haidouci, former Minister of Economy and Finance. Photo: Echorouk
Former Minister of Economy and Finance, Ghazi Haidousi, said in an interview with Echorouk, that Algeria is living a serious crisis of governance in light of the absence of powerful names, who have large popular presence and can lead the country in the next phase, describing the Fourth Term’s supporters as clowns, who are leading the country to danger, adding that the upcoming elections are meaningless in the absence of an alternative, and describing the candidate Ali Benflis as a man who supports regionalism.
Observers wonder if the former Minister’s statements are a “reawakening of conscience”, or a “free position that stems from well-established convictions”, or are just a settling of old accounts, especially with the men he worked with in a sensitive period of political stages that accompanied the democratic transition, and the adoption of political and media pluralism, as well as in launching reforms.
In you opinion will the upcoming elections be an opportunity for Algerians to bring about change in the country?
I think these elections have no meaning in the political field, neither in terms of time nor in terms of subject, and their subject is known. A sick human being, there are no preparations for anything, political parties do not have any program. Even rational this system does not make sense, a man in agony as they walk around. There is no freedom in Algeria to organize elections and programs that allow everyone to speak about them, so these elections have no meaning. Unfortunately this electoral process is a disaster in human terms, that some wrap around a sick person, and do this clowning that we see today in Algeria by unimportant people, because there is no freedom in the country, that allow men and women who are free to respond to them, this clowning for me is a threat to the future country.
If President Bouteflika will run for a Fourth Term, will we see an impact on the electoral process?
If Bouteflika wants to run for the elections, even though we will not see him in a this status, so he will continue the time that Allah will give him in this case, but there will be no change. Things will continue as they are. The system is dead and will fail, a failing government that is driven in any field, and we will wait for Allah decision over Algeria.
If the president will run. Tell us who will be the winner among the candidates for the upcoming elections?
Among the names that exist, there is no one who can offer something, frankly, no one can really understand the Algerian topic, and this is a direct relationship with the people, and the one who has nothing to do with the people, can never be able to do something, from among these candidates, no one is even well-known with the name, and who is known does not fit them.
For me there are two essential issues, to enable Algeria to get out of the crisis : The first process is freedom, and this means involving all the parties that were involved in the crisis of 1991, in the dialogue, even if they will not run for these elections. Government should sit down with the rest of the Islamic Front’s elements and engage in dialogue with them.
The only person who was able to dialogue is Mouloud Hamrouche, who believes as I believe that these elections have no meaning until he will run.
What do you think about the nomination of Ali Benflis?
I have no opinion on the subject, I met Benflis when I was a minister. He is a man who have no competence, opinion or political theory to run for the Presidential Elections, especially because he supports regionalism. I speak frankly because we share the same origin, I shall say this is a defect.
What is your vision for the future of Algeria?
Algeria is living today a very complicated geostrategic situation, everyone saw what happened in Tunisia. We are very happy for them because the Tunisians were able to put the Constitution, and tomorrow, if Allah wants, parliament will be free and they will have a leadership, but we are not living a Tunisian case, and we do not have the same political power that they have, when Bouteflika will leave for treatment only for 15 days, verbal battles and conflicts between soldiers start.
Why do you always insist on calling them “soldiers” while they are Generals?
They are soldiers, but they called themselves Generals, this is not a state. Today we have many problems. Algeria is the only country that has not been subjected to Israel, but the time will come and they will ask us to succumb to Israel and to accept what they want. We have problems of the borders with Morocco, what is the guarantor that nothing will happen? Do we have the belt that is able to resist or stand up? Then we have well-known economic and social problems like illiteracy, poverty and education.
In front of these questions, there is no answer, the man is ill, and who will be in his place? The one who has the power, must open the door for dialogue. The future is in the hands of Allah who protects us, but in the hands of the people there is no apparent work to build, that’s all I can say.