LETTERS: Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, stated on Aug 18, 2024, as part of his electoral campaign for a second term, that Algeria will not abandon the Palestinian cause.
He also said that the army was waiting for the borders at Gaza to reopen to send aid, build three hospitals within 20 days and send hundreds of doctors, adding that Algeria would continue to assist Palestine.
This is considering that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not a civilisational conflict, but a war waged by the Zionists who want to achieve, as the saying goes, "the peace of the graveyard".
The Palestinian conflict has witnessed dangerous developments with Israel's disregard of all international laws, norms and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice.
This issue is in dire need of international support. Algeria, which will witness presidential elections on Sept 7, 2024, is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and among the countries supporting the Palestinian cause.
Algeria is, indeed, among the few countries that have no direct or indirect relationship with the Zionist entity. It has adopted the Palestinian cause since its independence and embraced the establishment of the Palestinian State on its lands in 1988, supporting it with all material and moral means.
This resonates with the famous saying of the late Algerian President, Houari Boumediene, who declared: "We are with Palestine, whether it is the oppressor or the oppressed".
The current president emphasised this expression during his announcement at the Arab Summit hosted by Algeria on Nov 1 2022, that Algeria will work relentlessly until the international community recognises the State of Palestine.
In this regard, Algeria has demanded a halt to the crimes of the Zionist occupation and to prosecute and punish the occupation officials for their crimes against humanity in Palestine. It has strived to prosecute the Zionist entity before the International Court of Justice.
It has also sent more than 10 cargo planes loaded with various forms of assistance, in addition to financial aid. Two military aircraft were also deployed to Egypt to take charge of the treatment of the wounded and disabled by the Israeli aggression.
Consequently, the presidential elections in Algeria are important for the Palestinian cause. Analysts and observers believe that the incumbent president, who enjoys broad support from political parties and civil society organisations in the country, is the candidate who will most likely win the elections.
He is expected to lead the country for a second term. This is in light of his achievements during his first term, over five years, in all fields despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Algeria has witnessed major economic reforms that have paved the way to achieving a growth rate of more than 4.3 per cent and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to double to nearly $300 billion.
These reforms have also resulted in the elimination of external debt. Algeria has nearly $80 billion in foreign exchange reserves, which has also led to encouraging foreign investments from Asian, European, American and Arab countries. There were 6,600 projects in 2024, including more than $40 billion in foreign direct investments in the sectors of iron & steel, aluminium, automobiles, zinc, lead, phosphate and derivatives, solar energy and green hydrogen, agriculture and food industries.
In the scope of just two years, 1,300 factories were opened up, 3,600 start-up companies were established and more than two million housing units were constructed.
The World Bank has praised the economic development witnessed by Algeria in the past few years and expects Algeria to become an emerging country by 2027, while the current president expects the country's GDP to exceed $400 billion in the first half of 2026.
Three candidates are competing for the position of President of the Republic in the upcoming elections in Algeria: the current President as an independent candidate, Youssef Aouchiche, secretary-general of the Socialist Forces Front and Abdelali Hassani, President of the Movement of Society for Peace. The organisation of these elections is supervised by the National Independent Election Authority.
In addition to the more than 23 million Algerians who will vote inside the country, nearly one million Algerians will vote abroad in various Algerian embassies and consulates.
The elections will be held for Algerians residing in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines at the Algerian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from Sept 2 to Sept 7, 2024.
The Ambassador of Algeria to Malaysia, Abdelhafid Bounour, invites all Algerian nationals residing in these countries to participate in the elections.
EMBASSY OF ALGERIA
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times