An Assessment of Democratic Transition in the Arab World: the Case of Algeria
Journal Title: Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi - Year 2010, Vol 2, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper aims at reviewing the theoretical and empirical literature related to the evolution of democracy in the Arab world with specific focus on Algerian democratic transition in the last two decades. The paper attempts to find answers to a number of questions related to the nature and directions of how Algeria has been ruled since independence and to show how democracy is interpreted and perceived by the rulers and people. In order to understand the democratic development and transition of Arab states including Algeria, light will be shed on the modern theory of democracy from multiple perspectives. In this case the paper is descriptive in nature. This approach is often pursued by researchers assessing political phenomena (Rose, 2001;Talbi and Spencer, 2000) . It has long been debated that the root causes of a “democratic deficit” in Arab societies are linked to cultural issues, lags in economic development and to colonial history and international factors that continue to play a significant role in shaping the political landscape in the region. However, this paper assumes that, taking Algerian case as an example the control of one-party rule or one-individual rule is taking priority over democratic choice. There is evidence that there is no real circulation of power, as it is the case in modern democratic systems. Continuing violence and bloody military coups that accompanied the evolution of democratic transition supports this conclusion. In Algeria, the president is the person who receives the blessing of the military and western support. This is evident in the exclusion of rivals for the presidency under false pretenses.
Authors and Affiliations
Mohamed A. A. Abu Rumman
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP339617
- DOI -
- Views 60
- Downloads 0
Neoplatonism as a Step towards Islamic Philosophy: A Comparison of Metaphysics between Proclus and Al-Farabi
Neoplatonism was no doubt one of the most influential currents on Islamic philosophy. Works of the two leading figures of this movement, namely The Enneads of Plotinus and The Elements of Theology of Proclus, were though...
Evaluation of Turkish Water Policies According to Bioethical Approach: Example of Ergene River
In Turkey, the Ergene Basin comprising the Ergene River, is one of the river basins that has water pollution issues and extremely polluted due to the industrial and urban waste water discharges. The Ergene River is chose...
Sustainable Development and Environmental Ethics
In this article, sustainable development, its components, its development at the global level, at the European Union as an example of a regional level, and in Turkey will be studied. The place of sustainable development...
Trauma Traces Analysis of the Van Castle Mound (Medieval) Peoples
Paleopathology’s literature specifies the importance of trauma in consideration of health, social political incidents. The excavations conducted at Van Castle mound in 2010 revealed 183 skeletons date back to the medieva...
Marine Scientific Research Concept and Its Legal Statue within the Context of the 1982 United Nations Convention On the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
The Marine Scientific Research (MSR) is a concept within the law of the sea, which is related to the topics ranging from the natural sources of the sea to active and economic protection of the marine environment. Despite...