'Participatory govt the only way to conquer the future'

'Participatory govt the only way to conquer the future'

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is on his country's
first ever visit to Indonesia by a head of state. During the
four-day visit, which began on Sunday, Bouteflika responded to
written questions submitted by The Jakarta Post's Oei Eng Goan
and Harry Bhaskara. The following is an excerpt of the interview.

Question: Since you assumed the presidency in 1999, Algeria
has made great strides in its economy, as reflected in the
significant increase in its foreign exchange reserves and falling
external debt. Could you elaborate on the formula used for these
economic gains?

Answer: Indeed, significant strides have been accomplished in
the last three years. The financial and macroeconomic balance has
been reestablished and consolidated. The enormous budget deficit
has been absorbed; and despite a threefold increase in government
spending in infrastructure and human resources development, the
budget is still balanced. The external debt burden is all
manageable, the debt service represents 18 percent of our
exports, down from 65 percent in 1999.

We started the transformation of our economy to make it more
efficient through a comprehensive program of reforms. Almost all
our legislation has been adjusted. The tax system, the customs
regime, the investment climate are the kind of policies we
introduced .... We also opened, in what I may call a calculated
manner, our economy to the world, starting our integration into
the European market, which will be achieved in the next 10 years.

(W)e decided to launch a three-year program of about US$8
billion aimed at fostering local development and promoting
employment -- which is showing real positive effects (in)
depressed regions.

We offered to our business community incentives and an
effective environment; the private sector, marginal in size only
a few years ago, has been experiencing for the last three years
significant development, namely in the industrial and
agricultural sectors, not to mention the service sector.

The recipe (for the economy) consist of peace and
reconciliation, political and macroeconomic stability, will and
commitment and the mobilization of all stakeholders around clear
objectives to make the economy more effective and firms more
competitive. It is the program I proposed in 1999 and which the
Algerian people approved.

(Yet) we face problems of a new kind, pertaining to the
emergence of a new economy. We have to consolidate all that we
secured and to deepen our economic reform endeavors.

A new open economy and free enterprise make very crucial the
need to strengthen national solidarity. Free enterprise and
economic openness will make and is making our economy more
efficient, but it has adverse social effects. It is our
responsibility not to leave behind those citizens or those
regions which might be left on the sidelines ....

What has been done to cater to the younger generation, which,
as in many other countries, is demanding greater political
freedom?

Democracy and good governance, i.e. justice and a public
service respectful of the citizenry and the law, are the very
framework within which economic development can become reality.

Without people's support ... to solve their own problems, the
government has but a limited possibility to achieve its
development goals .... Restructuring public institutions,
strengthening the public agencies' methods of work and
simplifying and improving their procedures are tantamount in our
program of development.

Encouraging and promoting a culture of citizenship, finding
ways to have the local communities participate effectively ...
are critical.

Our citizens have indeed understood that it is the only way to
conquer the future. The young generation, the majority of our
population, is for and wants change. That is legitimate and now
that the institutional reforms have been launched, we will listen
even more closely to our youth to adjust and improve our actions.

What agreements have you reached with President Megawati
Soekarnoputri? What kinds of cooperation are planned?

Our countries concluded all the bilateral accords essential to
the promotion of our cooperation and to promote trade. My very
presence represents the initiation of the implementation of these
accords. Our trade relations went up to $234 millions in 2002, up
from $200 million in 1999.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri and myself are aware that
economic partnership and trade can further develop and diversify
if our business communities have fora to enable direct
ties ....

This is why (our respective) business communities are meeting
in Jakarta during my visit and a cooperation agreement is being
signed between the chambers of commerce and industry of our two
countries. Indeed, new prospects of partnership are emerging that
are likely to generate more trade. These are indeed the primary
objectives that our two governments have set to give our
political bilateral relations, which are excellent, substance.

How do you see the development of the global fight against
terrorism over the past two years?

It is reassuring to note that since the unfortunate attack of
Sept. 11 (2001), the international community has become aware of
the terrorist threat looming over all countries. Algeria, which
experienced through the killing of its children the misdeeds of
this scourge, never stopped calling attention to the danger
terrorism represents.

It was unfortunately neither listened to nor backed in its
struggle until Sept. 11. But things have changed over the past
two years. Fighting terrorism has become an objective shared by
all nations. But one sometimes notes some misinterpretations in
that even a legitimate resistance by a people to foreign
oppression is likened by some countries to terrorism. This
applies indeed to the Palestinian resistance to the Israeli
occupation. This ambiguity in defining terrorism can carry a
danger to world peace and stability ....

How do you address the issue of Islamic fundamentalism in your
country? And how would you respond to the observation that
Islamic fundamentalism is on the rise in the world?

Algeria went through a period where Islam was used for
political ends. This was instrumental in the national tragedy
that the country experienced and then overcame. It confronted
terrorism with courage and dignity thanks to a relentless
resistance waged by the forces of the nation, in particular its
army and law enforcement forces.

It also dealt with terrorism by calling on genuine Islam, a
religion of tolerance and peace, and by massively supporting the
policy of civil concord initiated in 1999.

Today, by virtue of this policy, all the political
stakeholders, including the Islamists, are represented in the
Parliament and the government. Political violence and terrorism
are unanimously condemned.

Hearts and minds are at peace. Hope is revived. The situation
is back to normal. Now concerning the ascent of what you call
Islamic fundamentalism in the world, this constitutes a reality
that is hard to ignore as long as there is injustice, inequality
and the fostering of a diabolic perception of Islam and Muslims.