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Geneva
23-24 November 1998

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GENEVA COUNCIL - Making global markets work for all

23-24 November 1998

RESOLUTION ON ALGERIA

Original: French

The Socialist International Council meeting in Geneva on 23-24 November 1998:

notes that for the past seven years the men and women of Algeria have been living through a tragedy made up of acts of terrorism, massacres and violations of human rights. This tragedy is made worse by a social situation which runs the risk of producing new crises and social explosions;

emphasises that the announcement of the early departure of President Zeroual is the result of divisions in the military hierarchy on the fringes of representative institutions, a fact which shows up the limitations of the process of transferring power to those institutions;

considers that the calling of presidential elections in April 1999 can provide a new opportunity to strengthen the political process of emerging from the crisis;

considers that this event should be the occasion for a wide-ranging act of consensus by the diverse actors on the Algerian political scene favouring a drive towards peace and national reconciliation;

emphasises the importance of guaranteeing freedom of expression and pluralism for the media and the need to put an end to every practice, direct or indirect, of censorship, in particular of television;

emphasises the need for transparency in the planned elections, reaffirms its support to its member party the FFS in its struggle for the establishment of peace and democracy in Algeria and assures it of its active solidarity;