Stalin in Algiers: The Electoral Farce of a Captive Nation

When power arrogates the fiction of choice, it transforms elections into rituals of domination, where ballot boxes become mirrors of authority, reflecting not the people’s will, but the perpetuation of oppression.

Michel Foucault, French Intellectual

In an electoral parody befitting the most authoritarian regimes, Algeria was inflicted with a crushing score of 94% in favor of the generals’ candidate, plunging the nation into a stupor mixed with fatalism. This result is not simply an echo of bygone times when dictators imposed their hegemony through rigged ballot boxes; it signals that today’s Algeria, under the deceptive veil of democracy, has only renewed a pact with tyranny. It seems Stalin, straight out of history’s shadows, has taken up residence in Algiers for a five-year term.

A Victory for Power, Not the People

With this overwhelming result, it is clear that the true victory is not the people’s, but that of a thoroughly corrupt regime, which has once again manipulated the electoral process to consolidate its grip. The 94% obtained by the generals’ candidate leaves little doubt about the nature of this election: a grim farce, orchestrated to maintain a regime that will stop at nothing to legitimize its domination.

The Illusion of Choice: A Security-Controlled Election

From the outset, many raised alarms, foreseeing the charade that was taking shape. Yet despite warnings, the regime’s well-oiled machine kicked into gear, and the final result—94%—confirms that this election was in no way an exercise in democratic choice. It was rather a calculated staging, meant to perpetuate the illusion of popular legitimacy.

Resistance: A Path to Be Invented

In the face of this democratic debacle, the opposition finds itself at a crossroads. Traditional tactics of boycotts or passive resistance have shown their limits against a regime that controls every aspect of the political process.

A Stolen Future: The Cost of Inaction

The political repercussions of this rigged election will be felt soon. Algeria, already plagued by corruption, economic collapse, and social disintegration, will sink even deeper under the prolonged rule of the generals. This electoral result is not just a political victory; it is a lock on any hope for reform.