Algiers May 10 2012

The elections to renew the legislative Assambly are ended in Algeria and the only real change is a Parliament that become tinged with pink.

145 elected women (31.39%) on 462 whole seats. That is the direct effect of a reform promoted and adopted by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. A reform, that has introduced the 30% pink quote in a Parliament, as the Algerian, almost all male.
Large presence of FLN’s militants (National Liberation Front) a party, which received 220 seats, 68 of them for women. Not lick the socialists which does not follow French socialists. As well as stop to 48 seats in total (15 for women), the Green Coalition (Alliance Verde) made of three moderate Islamist parties: En-Nhadda, El Islah and MSP (ex Hamas) which here are far from the overflowing results obtained in Egypt and Tunisia.

21,664,348 registered to vote. 9,178,056 voters. 7,509,549 expressing vote. 1,668,507 spoiled ballot papers. 57,1% of abstention. A universe, the latter, in which fall mainly young Algerians who do not “trust in political parties. We love our president”. A president (Abdelaziz Bouteflika), who, on the eve of vote, from Setif (Algeria), appealed to vote really the young people: “My generation has made its history is now to pass the baton to the new generations.” But young people have not responded. The day of vote at the polling stations there was a massive presence of elders, families and women. Those women, who will be invested, as soon as the new government will work, to change Algeria still far from gender-equality. “We never felt discriminated as women – say Benkada Asma and Saida Bouneb, both of them for FLN – at the university or at work. There are many women who hold important positions in Algeria, perhaps more than in Europe”. “What we stand for is a different woman from Thatcher and Merkel. A woman who will not repeat a male pattern to practise power. Women have got sensitivity, patience, listening skills. And it is precisely through these qualities – Benkada concludes – that we must work to enforce laws and improve our country”.