Party leader: Islamists will not get more than 35% in Algeria

The Secretary General of the National Liberation Front ( FLN) Abdelaziz Belkhadem has downplayed the scenario of an Islamic majority during the next legislative elections slated for May 2012, signalling h the Algerian exception.

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• The party leader has indicated that Algeria is different from the neighboring countries Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco where the Islamists have never been into power before.

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• “ The results of the last elections that took place in the Muslim world have revealed that the percentage of the Islamists varies between 35 and 40% giving the example of Enahdha in Tunisia 40% and the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt with 40%… I think that Algeria will not be an exception” , he said.

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• Belkhadem considers that the Islamic trend in Algeria represents 35% explaining this by the previous “electoral experience in the country and the presence of the Islamists in power” referring to the Movement for Society of Peace that counts among the presidential alliance in power.

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• The Secretary General didn’t reject the idea of the adhesion of former militants from the banned Islamic party” Those militants are members of the National Rally for Democracy, Enahdha, Movement for Society of Peace and they are welcomed in the National Liberation Front since their former party has been disbanded”

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• Belkahdem seized this opportunity to respond to his opponents that threatened to enter the electoral race under the name ‘Liberation Front Independents” saying that those are aware of  the difficulties and if they want to measure their strength, they have to enter the race”.