Algeria: Muslim Brotherhood divided over participation in government

Algeria - Division is dominating Algeria’s Muslim Brotherhood concerning if they should be participants in the government scheduled to be formed during the coming days, ArabsToday reported.

A number of the group’s leaders expressed their refusal to participate in the coming government, as the results of parliamentary elections were frustrating and did not meet their aspirations. Others stressed the need for seizing the opportunity to participate in the coming national unity government to maintain the approach adopted by former leader Mahfouz Nehnah.

The group received an offer from the Algerian presidency to join the government. The offer raised a state of division among the leaders of the group. Current Chairperson of Algeria’s Community of Peace, Abdel Aziz Moqree, expressed his readiness to participate in the government if the ruling authorities maintain the integrity of elections. He also stressed the need for achieving accordance in the program adopted by the new government. 

Former leader of Algeria’s Community of Peace, political arm of Algeria’s Muslim Brotherhood, Abu Jara Al Sultani said that the participation in the government will achieve political gains for the group during the coming period, also saying that the final decision should be up to the group’s Shura Council.

On the other hand, the group’s media official Bin Ajaymeya Bouabdullah, refused the participation in the coming government, saying that they should not join the government after the frustrating results of the elections.

On his part, dissident member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Tariq Al Bishbishi, said that the results of the recent parliamentary elections held in Algeria last week were not expected, saying that they were aspiring to win more parliamentary seats to have a more profound role during the coming period in the country’s political life.

He added that their failure during the recent elections pushed members of the group to take a stance against the government b inciting their supporters against it. He added that they are attempting to change the agreement between the government and the group, while other leaders of the group are refusing this stand.

He also said that Algeria’s Muslim Brotherhood refused to take the same approach adopted by the Islamic Salvation Front that clashed with the government in 1990s, but returned to cooperate with the government, while the recent elections have pushed them again to change their position.