Three parties in Algeria announce alliance

ALGIERS - Three Islamist parties in Algeria, namely the Movement of the Society for Peace (MSP), Ennahda Movement and El Islah Movement, have officially formed an alliance Wednesday in a bid to run for the parliamentary elections of May 10 with a unified list of candidates.

The creation of this Islamist bloc has been announced in a ceremony held in Algiers, and attended by the three parties' leaders, Bouguerra Soltani (MSP), Fateh Rebiai (Ennahda) and Hamlaoui Akouchi (El Islah).

The local APS news agency quoted the coordinator of the alliance, Azzedine Djerafa, as saying that such a pole "will be a purely Algerian political alliance, which is to be added to the democratic experiences in Algeria."

He further added that "the door is still open for other parties to join the alliance, in view of requirements and challenges of the situation," adding that "the preoccupations of the Algerian people are so important that one party or more, alone, cannot meet them."

The official specified that the Islamist alliance will run for the parliamentary elections with a unified manifesto and lists.

According to the alliance charter, "the alliance aims at pursuing the reforms, notably the amendment of the constitution in conformity with the requirements of the current situation and the aspirations of the Algerian people in terms of liberty, justice and human dignity."

"Deepening the ongoing reforms in all domains, fighting corruption according to international standards, and achieving sustainable development to curb poverty, unemployment and exclusion" stand among the alliance goals, the document reads.

Internationally, "the alliance will work for reviving the process of the Maghreb Union, the Arab-Muslim integration, in addition to African and international cooperation" the charter specifies, stressing that "the alliance will support the Palestinian cause and the right of people for liberty and self- determination."

Despite the islamists' endeavor to form the alliance, the leader of the newly created Islamist Movement for Justice and Development, Abdellah Djabellah, whose party is seen as potential winner in May elections by some observers, has snubbed calls to join this alliance.

"Such an alliance is useless, because it's impossible for different parties with different programs to get together in a unified list of candidates," Djabellah explained, adding that he only accepts to "join a temporary alliance that aims at monitoring elections to deter any rigging attempts."