Algerian national reconciliation referendum, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Algerian national reconciliation referendum took place in Algeria
on 29 September 2005. The referendum was held on a Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
which had been drawn up to try to bring closure to the Algerian Civil War
. The official results showed an overwhelming vote in favour on a high turnout
.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
began drawing up plans for an amnesty
for both members of the military
and Islamists.
The Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
that was produced would offer an amnesty to anyone who had taken part in the civil war unless they had taken part in rape
s, mass murder
s or public bombings. The charter removed any blame to the state for the events of the civil war and prevented any leaders of the Islamist rebels from re-entering politics in Algeria
. It also provided for compensation to be given to the families of the dead and those who disappeared during the civil war.
was:
Are you for or against the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation project that the government has proposed?
Opponents, including some opposition parties, said that the charter would prevent people from obtaining justice as it would not hold those who committed crimes accountable for them. There was a call for a boycott
and opponents described it as just giving more legitimacy to the government and president. However no opposition groups were allowed to get their point of view on national television or radio stations during the campaign.
On the day of the referendum there was violence in the eastern regions of Algeria and particularly Kabylie
province where turnout
was much lower than in the rest of the country. Turnout varied widely with Tizi Ouzou Province
seeing a turnout of only a little over 11%, while in Khenchela
official figures showed a 99.95% turnout.
groups, said that the official turnout figures were completely overstated, with polling station
s in and around Algiers seeing little evidence of a large turnout.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 29 September 2005. The referendum was held on a Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
The Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation was a charter proposed by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in an attempt to bring closure to the Algerian Civil War by offering an amnesty for most violence committed in it...
which had been drawn up to try to bring closure to the Algerian Civil War
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War was an armed conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups which began in 1991. It is estimated to have cost between 150,000 and 200,000 lives, in a population of about 25,010,000 in 1990 and 31,193,917 in 2000.More than 70 journalists were...
. The official results showed an overwhelming vote in favour on a high turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
.
Background
The Algerian Civil War, which had begun in 1991 after the military cancelled the 1991 National Assembly elections to prevent Islamists from winning, had led to at least 150,000 people dying by 2005. Since the late 1990s violence had been declining and the government of PresidentPresident of Algeria
The President of Algeria is the head of state and chief executive of Algeria, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Algerian armed forces.-History of the office:...
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika is the ninth President of Algeria. He has been in office since 1999. He continued emergency rule until 24 February 2011, and presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002...
began drawing up plans for an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
for both members of the military
Military of Algeria
The People’s National Army is the armed forces of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. Algeria has a large and reasonably well-equipped military to counter foreign and domestic threats...
and Islamists.
The Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation
The Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation was a charter proposed by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in an attempt to bring closure to the Algerian Civil War by offering an amnesty for most violence committed in it...
that was produced would offer an amnesty to anyone who had taken part in the civil war unless they had taken part in rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
s, mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
s or public bombings. The charter removed any blame to the state for the events of the civil war and prevented any leaders of the Islamist rebels from re-entering politics in Algeria
Politics of Algeria
Politics of Algeria takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Algeria is head of state while the Prime Minister of Algeria is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
. It also provided for compensation to be given to the families of the dead and those who disappeared during the civil war.
Referendum question
The question voted on in the referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was:
Are you for or against the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation project that the government has proposed?
Campaign
President Bouteflika personally led the campaign in favour of the charter and for several weeks before the referendum he travelled across Algeria to campaign for a yes vote. The government said that there was no alternative to the charter and used the slogan "From concord to national reconciliation. For Algeria". Public enthusiasm for the charter was not much evident during the campaign but there was support as people saw the referendum as a chance to bring the long conflict to a conclusion.Opponents, including some opposition parties, said that the charter would prevent people from obtaining justice as it would not hold those who committed crimes accountable for them. There was a call for a boycott
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
and opponents described it as just giving more legitimacy to the government and president. However no opposition groups were allowed to get their point of view on national television or radio stations during the campaign.
On the day of the referendum there was violence in the eastern regions of Algeria and particularly Kabylie
Kabylie
Kabylie or Kabylia , is a region in the north of Algeria.It is part of the Tell Atlas and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia , most of Bouira and parts of the wilayas of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Jijel,...
province where turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was much lower than in the rest of the country. Turnout varied widely with Tizi Ouzou Province
Tizi Ouzou Province
Tizi Ouzou is a province in Algeria, named after its capital.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into 21 districts , which are further divided into 67 communes or municipalities.-Districts:# Aïn El Hammam...
seeing a turnout of only a little over 11%, while in Khenchela
Khenchela
Khenchela ancient Mascula is the name of the capital city of the administrative Khenchela Province , number 40, in the north east of Algeria. Situated in the Aures Mountains, 1200 m above sea level. The city is mainly populated by Berber Chaouis....
official figures showed a 99.95% turnout.
Results
The government described the official results as having given "real backing for the president's project". However critics, such as human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
groups, said that the official turnout figures were completely overstated, with polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s in and around Algiers seeing little evidence of a large turnout.
| Electorate | Spoilt votes | Turnout (%) | For (%) | Against (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18,313,594 | 171,507 | 14,435,291 (79.76) | 14,054,164(97.36) | 381,127 (2.64) |
| Source: IFES Election Guide | ||||