… After decades of political oppression in Algeria, only 17% of citizens are now interested in politics, according to a poll published last week by the Arab Barometer, an independent research network that has been conducting opinion polls in the Middle East and North Africa since 2006.
One of the problems faced by the Algerian movement is the lack of leaders or organizations capable of speaking in its name and negotiating the fulfillment of its demands. Algerians do not trust their political parties, which no longer have the confidence of 14% of the people, according to the Arab Barometer poll, and they do not trust the political institutions such as government and parliament, as well as the judiciary.
This lack of confidence is exemplified by the chants that rose against political figures who came to the streets to join the protests, such as the head of the Algerian National Front Moussa Touati, the head of the Workers’ Party and previously a candidate in the 2014 presidential elections.
However, according to the same survey, 74% of Algerians trust the army and 60% trust the police. This means that the military is better able to control the course of events in the next phase.
When Algerian citizens talk about the army, they speak in a rather idealistic way, distinguishing between “the army as an institution” and “those who control the army, which draws from the people,” said Islam Tabboush.
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