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Algerian Political Scene Split Ahead of 2014 Elections

With Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika set to run for a fourth term, opponents and supporters engage in heated debates about the state and direction of the country, writes Kaci Racelma.
Sheikh Djelloul Hadjimi, the imam of the El Ouartilani mosque speaks during the Friday prayers on March 22, 2013 in Algiers. Hadjimi is the general secretary of the "National coordination of imams and officials for religious affairs", the first union of imams that was launched on March 17, 2013 to promote moderate Islam. AFP PHOTO FAROUK BATICHE        (Photo credit should read FAROUK BATICHE/AFP/Getty Images)

Against the backdrop of a battle between supporters and opponents of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, preparations for the 2014 presidential elections are starting in Algeria, a country in search of ideas and desperately trying to find its footing.

The two parties are openly competing for electoral hegemony in a context marked by scandals belittling prominent figures. For over 10 years, opposition groups were limited to registering for elections and most of the decisions were made by the head of state in office. But the Arab revolutions, which deposed Ben Ali and the like, gave wings to the opponents of Bouteflika, openly opposing a fourth term for the current residents of ancient Almoravia.

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