Algeria after Bouteflika, Tebboune’s priorities in the coming period

Around 20.20% of Algerians who voted for former prime minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune are pinning their hopes on him to resolve the crisis that Algeria has been sinking into for more than eight months.

Tebboune grabbed a majority vote of 58.15 percent in the presidential polls held on Thursday, despite the decision of former ruling party National Liberation Front not to endorse him.

In light of the major burdens that the new Algerian president bears on his shoulders, it can be said that the success of Tebboune with this percentage, and amid these difficult circumstances that Algeria is going through, will have major repercussions in Algeria and abroad during the coming period.

Former presidential candidate Ali bin Falis announced resigning from the political scene immediately after the election results and demanded a large number of members of the Democratic National Rally and its general-secretary Izz al-Din Mihoubi to resign after the results that he described as “catastrophic.”

All the recent updates suggest major splits within Algeria’s main parties, especially the Democratic National Rally and the National Liberation Front, which changed its stand on supporting Tebboune after winning.

Moreover, confusion has appeared within the two major parties, in addition to Falis’ party ‘Vanguard of freedoms’, which could affect the rest of parties that some even boycotted the election, that might be seen attempting to approach the new regime, seeking a place at the new political reality, which also suggests the emergence of new parties with the same ideologies and programs.

The results of the presidential election may not only affect civil parties, but may even change the ground of religious-based parties as well; as Abdelkader Bengrina came in second place with 17.38% of the votes, Islamist parties in Algeria might rearrange. The Islamist El-Binaa party might play the same role that the Movement of Society for Peace played with Bouteflika in 1999-2012, as it remained an ally and a partner of the government. Therefore, Bengrina’s party might step forward as the front of the Islamist movement in Algeria during the incoming period.

Speaking during a press conference after his winning in Algiers, Tebboune affirmed he will not be seeking to found a new party and will remain independent, which indicates that Algeria might witness major changes during the coming period, most importantly, preparing a new draft constitution. Thus, during the first ninety days of the new president’s term, Algeria may witness the disruption of the implementation of the current constitution.

The new constitution will reduce the powers of the president and “guarantee the separation and balance of powers,” he said. It will also curtail the immunity of parliamentarians and executive officials for the sake of empowering the judiciary to pursue them in case they were involved in corruption or crimes.

This may also be followed by amendments to the election law, especially that the new president believes that the old law does not correspond to the new changes, and does not produce effective political institutions.

Tebboune may also consider dissolving the parliament and local councils after amending the constitution and changing the election law, however, this may lead to confusion within the internal scene.

He might also respond to one of the most pressing issues during the past eight months, which is popular demands to dissolve the government. Accordingly, the president will hit two birds with one stone, the first is to form a government of technocrats far from the old parties, and the second to satisfy the popular movement by representing it in the next government.

According to Tebboune, a comprehensive strategic plan must be laid to pass the current political situation and begin reforming the country’s economy and position among nations, stressing that overcoming the current economic crisis is on top of his priorities. He further vowed to extend a hand to the popular movement and the rest of political movements and parties for dialogue.

The new president may stick to his relationship with France, especially after the French President congratulated him on winnning the election and further demanded him to open a dialogue with Hirak movement, which he considered a kind of French guardianship, which Algeria will not accept in the coming period.

Algeria might also witness a quick rapprochement between the three countries of the North Moroccan, especially after the initiative of King Mohammed VI, during which he congratulated the Algerian President and called to open a new page in the relations between the two neighboring countries, based on mutual trust and constructive dialogue.