Foreign diplomats visit Algeria’s political parties

Algerian political parties witnessed increasing visits from a large number of western diplomats to explore the current political situation witnessed in the country before the coming parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on May 4.

According to Algerian Sherouk newspaper, the move raised the concern of Algerian authorities that expressed their concern over the contacts conducted by Algeria’s political leaders of the opposition parties with foreign ambassadors in Alger.

Spanish Ambassador to Algeria Algolandro Polonco met with Chairperson of Freedoms Forerunners Ali Bin Falees, who ran for the presidential elections against Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2014. According to a statement issued by the opposition party, the Spanish ambassador discussed with the Algerian politician the ways to improve the bilateral relations between Algeria and Spain during the coming period.

The chairperson of the Party, which is one of the political parties that decided to boycott the coming parliamentary elections, presented his vision over the current political situation in the country on political, economic or social levels. He also briefed the foreign ambassador on the reasons that pushed his party not to participate in the coming elections.

On the other hand, The opposition block to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, which includes the largest opposition political parties, is in a state of a major conflict with the ruling party. The "Mezaffran" document, which emerged from the first meeting of the Algerian opposition, 20 years after the "Sant'Egidio" meeting in 1995 called the "Rome Agreement" and called the "Reconciliation Agreement", divided the opposition leaders.

The current that will participate in the election, scheduled to be held in May 4, represented by the Movement for a Society for Peace and Renaissance, and the Justice, Development and Rally Front for Culture and Democracy, believes that the Mezaffran document has no reason to boycott the election, while the other current, which announced its boycott to the election, continued to accuse his opponent in the body.

The Islamic parties, which announced their participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections, lined up with critics of the boycotters. The Islamic parties and personalities urged the citizens not to boycott the election, adding that boycotting the coming election will contribute in rigging the elections.