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Algerian Opposition Party's Split Stirs Controversy
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Abdullah Jab Allah, leader of the National Reform Movement
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By
Omima Ahmad, IOL Correspondent
ALGIERS,
October 28 (IslamOnline.net) - The resignations of five leading
members of the Islamic-oriented Movement for National Reform,
Algeria’s main opposition party, have stirred controversy.
Some
observers saw the move justifiable and based on solid considerations
while party officials cried foul play and played the conspiracy tune.
The
five resigned protesting what they termed as an attempt by the party's
leader Sheikh Abdullah Gaballah to clip the wings of the party's
bodies and keep all the strings in his hands.
Ahmed
Abdul Salam, the resigned media officer of the Movement for National
Reform, declined to further elaborate on the resignation motivations.
"We
have decided not to make any press statements other than the
resignation statement," he told IslamOnline.net.
The
said statement accused Sheikh Gaballah of imposing a new draft bylaw
discussing it with the party's bodies.
It
further added that Sheikh Gaballah has given himself the ultimate
authority in the political decision-making process and deciding on the
party's strategic files even without consulting with the Shura
(consultative) council.
Conspiracy
Saedi
Abdul Ghafour, the party's deputy leader, described the resignations
as part of a "conspiracy to weaken the movement."
The
Movement for National Reform has 24 seats in the Algerian parliament
and is the country's main opposition party.
Ghafour
questioned the timing of the resignations which came ahead of the
party's general assembly.
The
party's members will stand firmly against their conspiracy, he told
IOL.
"As
usual in Arab countries, conspiracies target the leaders of the
parties, especially those with Islamic-orientation."
Weakening
Algerian
political analyst Abdel Ali Ruzaki also saw the resignations in a
negative light.
He
ruled out that the decision was linked to the party's leader, adding
the resigned members would have otherwise waited until the general
assembly meeting and not take the issue to the media.
The
expert said the resignations were an attempt to weaken the party,
especially after its staunch opposition to the controversial family
law amendments.
The
Algerian Family
Law amendments had sparked deep controversy in the
country, particularly the role of the wali (a woman’s guardian) in
concluding marriage contracts.
"The
party's opposition to the law found sweeping support, particularly
from Algeria’s Muslim Scholars Association, arousing the
authorities' fears," Ruzaki said.
He
recalled, in this respect, successful attempts by the authorities with
a number of Algerian parties.
In
1990, the authorities reportedly encouraged 40 members of Ahmed Ben
Bella's Movement for Democracy to walk out.
In
the same year, the Socialist Forces Front (FFS) of Hocine Aït Ahmed
hardly escaped the same fate.
"Splits
within the strong parties have always been a successful tool used by
the authorities to render political pluralism a sheer sham."
Algerian
analysts generally blame the weakness of Arab opposition parties on
the lack of rotating leadership, making them a soft target for the
authorities.
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