Algerians Welcoming April Elections, Hoping for Power Shift from NLF

The 2014 presidential election in Algeria is just around the corner. The people are ready for a change after 15 years of the same thing with the NLF.

The forthcoming April Algerian presidential election is viewed by many as a prospective chance for bringing about the change that this country desperately is seeking. At the forefront of key election issues is the youth of the nation, or the millennials, who are seeking to gain more influence in the government. In particular, when Algeria fought for its independence from France in the 1960s, a number of influential people rose to power who now, by views of the younger generation, control much of what happens in politics.

Those who have disagreed with them in the past, such as recently announced presidential contender, Ali Benflis, were ousted from power, something that happened when Benflis decided to run for president in 2004 and was removed from being the Prime Minister. Now, Benflis is poised to run again, hoping to attract more voters from the younger generation to give him the edge he needs in this year’s elections. Widely considered a man of and by the people, Benflis has three pledges he’s announced to the news, according to a recent report by Yahoo News and AFP.

Education of the Youth

At the core of the issues Benflis is centering for his campaign is the education of the youth. Many of the country’s people are so poor that they can’t afford to seek conventional education, much less a college education, something that has greatly hindered the progress of a stronger infrastructure.

Empowerment of the Business

Benflis also plans to put into place a “more productive economy” that can enable businesses to succeed. Perhaps by diverting some of the nation’s oil wealth to that in the form of grants and loans for small business owners, a plan could be derived to revive the business sector.

Reform of the Justice System

As the former Minister of Justice, and a former prosecutor, Benflis also sees much needed reform for the legal system. One area is found it the fact that most people charged with crimes can’t afford a lawyer, and instead must defend themselves against prosecutors, often losing due to lack of any legal education.