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Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika died on Friday at the age of 84 after enduring years of poor health.
After suffering a severe stroke in 2013, Bouteflika withdrew from the public eye. In 2014, he earned the nickname of “the phantom president” when he was elected for a fourth consecutive term – without even appearing in person on the campaign trail.
Bouteflika’s birthplace is still unknown, as his official biography does not specify any location. However, according to historians, Bouteflika was born in 1937 in an ordinary family in Oujda, Morocco.
Even his exact role in Algeria’s War of Independence from France is uncertain, although it is reported that Bouteflika joined the National Liberation Army, the military branch of the National Liberation Front (FLN) in 1956, when he was 19 years old.
He died at the age of 84, marking the end of an era in Algeria. After two decades in power, he resigned in April 2019 because of street protests against his fifth term plan.
Bouteflika is a disciple of the former Algerian leader Houari Boumediene and belongs to the generation of leaders who have ruled Algeria since independence. In 1962, Bouteflika served as Minister of Youth and Sports in Algeria’s first post-colonial government. A year later, at the age of 26, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, becoming the youngest person in the world to hold this position.
During his tenure, Bouteflika became a prominent figure in Arab politics and the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1974, he received the late Palestinian leader and chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat in Algiers. In the same year, he ordered the expulsion of South African officials from Algeria to protest the apartheid system.
Bouteflika is respected in newly independent countries around the world and is also appreciated in Europe.
“The elegant and well-dressed Abdulaziz Bouteflika is known as the’Playboy’s diplomat’ in Western countries. He has held this position brilliantly,” FLN MP Samira Bouras Kerkouche told Al Jazeera.
In this file photo taken on March 26, 2009, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is surrounded by bodyguards as he greets supporters [Fayez Nureldine/AFP]In 1978, the then President Bumedin died of a rare blood disease, and he left a power vacuum that Bouteflika wanted to fill. But Chadli Bendjedid, the former Secretary of Defense with strong military support, came to power in 1979, forcing Bouteflika to withdraw from politics.
Two years later, Bouteflika was convicted of embezzling more than $23 million in the Algerian Embassy. In his defense, he claimed that the money was only “set aside” for the construction of a new building for his ministry. Although he was granted an amnesty, Bouteflika spent the next two decades in luxury exile between Switzerland and the Gulf countries, allegedly becoming a multimillionaire during this period.
With the support of the military, Bouteflika returned to Algeria’s political arena in 1999. At that time, Algerians were still traumatized by the atrocities committed during the so-called “Black Decade”. In the civil war between the rebels and the government, nearly 150,000 Algerians were killed.
Amel Boubekeur said: “Bouteflika was once again invited by a group of generals to enter the inner circle. They introduced him as the leader of Providence, which can end the lingering civil war that broke out in Algeria after the 1992 election victory.”, German International and Visiting scholar of the Institute of Security Affairs.
As the sole candidate running for the presidency – the six other candidates withdrew, claiming the election would be rigged, although their names remained on the ballot – Bouteflika was elected president in 1999 with 74 percent of the vote, according to official results.
Five months later, Bouteflika held a referendum on the “Civil Harmony Law,” a peace agreement that gave amnesty to insurgents willing to lay down their arms. The newly elected president gained widespread popular support, with more than 98 percent voting in favour of the law. Most former fighters agreed to do so, although some fled underground.
“Under the leadership of President Bouteflika, Algeria has almost completely defeated Islamic terrorism, but it [hasn’t been] As Al Qaeda becomes more and more rampant in the Islamic Maghreb, completely eradicate [AQIM] And Jund al-Khilafa, one belonging to [ISIL],” said Omar Bagzuzzi, a law professor at Tizouzu University.
At the FIKRA meeting held in Algiers in 2015, Lakhdar Brahimi, the former UN special envoy to Syria, frequently visited the Algerian President. He said that Bouteflika had brought much-needed stability to Algeria and turned North African countries into The key players in the region will be remembered through him presiding over conflict peace negotiations, as he did in Mali and Libya.
The Bouteflika government supports the so-called “War on Terror”, And the country’s huge oil and natural gas reserves.
“Obviously, Western countries turn a blind eye to this [to] Bouteflika’s fragile health and evidence of election fraud because they are critical to Algeria’s reliability and status quo,” said Abdulaziz Rahabi, Algeria’s former communications minister.
“Scandal of the Century”
As a country rich in oil resources, Algeria has modernized its infrastructure under the leadership of President Bouteflika. However, the development was accompanied by widespread allegations of corruption.
The east-west highway construction, which started in 2006 and is known as the “Project of the Century”, was instead called the “scandal of the century.” The highway connecting Algeria to the borders of Tunisia and Morocco was originally estimated to cost US$7 billion, but the price soared to US$13 billion, making many people suspect that the funds were distributed through bribery.
In 2015, a court in Algeria sentenced 14 people to fixed-term imprisonment and fined 7 foreign companies on charges of corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds.
Bouteflika’s long rule marked the outbreak of corruption in Algeria. In 2014, Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index ranked the country 100th out of 175 countries. During Bouteflika’s fourth term, other high-profile corruption cases involving Algerian officials and foreign companies further shook the country.
However, with military and international support, Bouteflika easily won overwhelming election victories in 2004 and 2009 and faced relatively unknown challengers. The 2008 constitutional amendment removed the president’s term limit and made his third and fourth terms possible. This move was criticized by the opposition as a setback for democracy.
Former Algerian Prime Minister Ali Benfulis explained: “Bouteflika has always wanted to concentrate all power in his hands and refuse to be the’three-quarters of the president’ as he said.” “Boutefer Lika gave herself a choice [of] Serve as the head of state for life. “
Experts say that, indeed, Bouteflika maintains control of power through repression, nepotism and ticket purchases. In 2011, under pressure from the Arab Spring protests that swept the region, Bouteflika lifted the 19-year state of emergency. Despite this, the Algerian police continued to disperse almost all demonstrations in the country.
Experts cited two main reasons Bouteflika survived the Arab Spring: First, his government tried to persuade the public through propaganda that only it could prevent Algeria from falling into chaos. “After the’Black Decade’, Algerians [were] Nacer Djabi, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Algiers, told Al Jazeera that he was unwilling to call for major changes and put stability and security first.
In addition, with the funding of oil revenues, the Bouteflika government can purchase social peace by providing subsidies and assistance.
“Oil price [had] It soared during Bouteflika’s administration. Opposition Jil Jadid or Sofiane Djilali, founder of the “new generation”, said that not only did oil wealth fail to develop the country, it spread corruption and helped maintain the political status quo.
“Bouteflika’s long-term administration demonstrates the resilience of a system designed to lead the’change’ it wants anytime and anywhere. But the reduction in Algeria’s fiscal reserves raises questions about its ability to resist such behavior. [a] Crisis,” Bagzuz explained.
According to Bubeker, Algeria’s longest-serving leader has been thinking about his best interests.
“At the beginning of his career, Bouteflika was considered a socialist activist… The truth is that Bouteflika never believed in any ideological and political projects, but was only affected by money and The dual push of power. He did not leave any schools of thought.”
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