Why does Algeria’s Brotherhood support the authority?

Sarah Waheed

Algeria’s Muslim Brotherhood parties have changed their attitude towards the popular movement and shifted to back the regime. Such a change has triggered debate, especially after the Brotherhood adopted the regime’s vision about the involvement of foreign powers in fueling the popular movement in the Algeria.

After the popular movement started in Algeria on Feb. 22, 2019, Abdelkader Ben Qureina, head of National Construction Movement in Algeria, called on all political, popular and ruling powers to back the Algerian state in the face of attempts to destabilize the country according to what he called a foreign plot.

Ben Qureina affirmed that some foreign powers were trying to take advantage of the popular movement to topple Algeria.

Tarek Fahmy, a professor of political science at Cairo University, said Algeria’s Muslim Brotherhood is maneuvering by sending a clear message to the country’s political forces that the group is seeking to participate in the government and assume offices in the new authorities, whether in parliament or the cabinet.

“The Muslim Brotherhood’s parties also want to get a political deal to win the support of the Algerian public by appearing as the country’s faithful savior from foreign agendas,” Fahmy told THE REFERENCE.

“The Brotherhood’s parties are trying to promote through their media that they seek Algeria’s best interests. However, they only want to protect their future in Algeria,” he noted.

For his part, researcher Abul Fadl al-Isnawy, an expert on Islamic movements, said that Algeria’s Brotherhood wants to be part of the reformed modern political system in Algeria.

“Algeria will witness a constitutional amendment for a new electoral system and a democratic parliament. When President Abdelmadjid Tebboune met with these parties, they showed some rapprochement and declared their full support to the regime. However, their relations with the authority are based on interest,” al-Isnawy said.

“The Algerian Islamists are weak. They take sides with the authority in Algeria now. However, they know very well that they won’t get more than 15 percent of seats in parliament anyway,” he added.