Algeria’s Turbulent Path to Democracy: Missed Chances and The Fall of Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Year 2019, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 35 - 55, 01.10.2019

İsrael Nyaburi Nyadera , Billy Agwanda

Abstract

Arap Baharı sonucunda yaşanan bazı Orta Doğu ve Kuzey Afrika ülkelerinin feci sonuçları, bölgedeki demokrasi taleplerine neden olan başka bir insan dalgasının olacağı yönündeki umutları sulandırdı. Bu nedenle, protestocular Cezayir'deki büyük şehirlerin caddelerine döküldüklerinde ve beşinci dönem başkanlığına itiraz eden cumhurbaşkanı Bouteflika'nın saltanatına son verdiklerinde, çoğu kişi artık tanıdık bir kan dökülmesi ve yıkım olayına neden olacağı konusunda şüpheli kaldı. Yemen, Suriye ve Libya'da tanık oldu. Bu makale, Cezayir’in demokrasi, kaçırılmış fırsatlar ve Bouteflika’nın kansız düşme arayışı içindeki çalkantılı seyahatini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ordunun Cezayir’in siyasetine dahil olmasının demokrasinin önündeki en büyük engel olduğunu ve Bouteflika’nın askeri destekli rejiminin düşüşüne yol açan son olayların siyasi reformlara daha açık bir yol açabileceğini savunuyor.

Keywords

Cezayir, Demokrasi, Bouteflika, Ordu, Devrim

Algeria’s Turbulent Path to Democracy: Missed Chances and The Fall of Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Abstract

The disastrous consequences some Middle East
and North African countries experienced as a result of the Arab Spring diluted
any hopes that another wave of people driven demands for democracy would be on
the horizon in the region. Therefore, when protestors poured on the streets of
major cities in Algeria demanding and end to the reign of president Bouteflika,
who was contesting the presidency for a fifth term, many remained sceptical
that this would result to a now familiar case of bloodshed and destruction
being witnessed in Yemen, Syria and Libya. This article seeks to examine
Algeria’s turbulent journey in search of democracy, the missed opportunities
and the bloodless fall of Bouteflika. It argues that the involvement of the
military in Algeria’s politics has been the biggest obstacle to democracy, and
the recent events that led to the fall of the military supported regime of
Bouteflika could mark the beginning of clearer path to political reforms.

Keywords

Algeria, Democracy, Bouteflika, Army, Revolution

References

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