ALGERIA has moved a step closer to open confrontation with the arrest of Abdul Kadir Hachani, leader of the fundamentalist Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), and a mobilisation of troops and heavily armed riot police.
In a move aimed at decapitating the fundamentalist forces, Hachant was arrested on the grounds of calling for desertion running Algeria produced no evidence for the claus assert ing that it was based on a 'reliole some The army-backed regime the FIS' main political platform, As the first detachthe four or five thousand mosques that their sup. porters control, with rings of 100050708 0083 But despite widespread symmathy among women and pro democracy forces for attempts to beat the fundamentalists, the moves are doomed to failure.
Consequences
The consequences of the clampdown are not yet clear; but democracy is one of the least likely. Since the overwhelming victory for the FIS in Algeria's recent elections, the government and army have not tried to mobilise any broad support for democracy.
Instead, they have pre-empted the fundamentalists' almost certain victory in the second round of elections by cancelling them and imposing an unconstitutional five-man junta.
In a two-faced declaration this was subsequently condemned by the National Liberation Front (FLN), though as the ruling party it was in fact behind the moves.
These moves were certain to strengthen support for the FIS among the population, many ot whom voted for the fundamentausts as & protest akarst poverty and government cor leashed ethnic strife in LN ruption.
The latest moves against the FIS up the ante considerably. A wave of popular protest is likely and the FIS has called on its supporters in the army to ignore orders to fire on protesters.
Army
The junta may be able to use its control of the army to hold this down by force for a while, but this risks moving the crisis towards the kind of violent conflict that the regime has used before. It will do nothing to promote democracy.
The same applies to a similar lampdown th reatened by the - PLANTU neighbouring Tunisian authorities. But there is an alternative to both the FIS' reactionary policies and the conflict threatened by the junta.
Forces supporting democracy in Algeria command considerable support; and many women are none too keen on the prospect of Islamic law.
If they were to unite in a popular mobilisation in defence of democratic rights, this would be the best answer to both Islamic reaction and the corrupt bureaucracy that has controlled Algeria's government for many years.