Word: bellas
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Despite the show of democracy, the voters were apathetic, sickened by war and the clawing fights among their own leaders. By last week, the only slogan capable of rallying the Algerian people was the cry of Baraket (Enough). Ahmed Ben Bella, at least temporarily in control as head of Algeria's Political Bureau, gave the voters no alternative to a single list of 196 candidates. The list had been purged of 59 names, including such Ben Bella opponents as ex-Premier Benyoussef Ben-khedda, Guerrilla Heroine Djamila Bou-hired, who had been tortured by French paratroops, and Mustapha Lacheraf...
Ancient Rivalries. Ben Bella, who left no doubt that he intends to be Premier of the new government, made a nationwide broadcast declaring that the tasks ahead "can be summed up in a few words: re-establishment of order in an Algeria disoriented by war, and the establishment of peace and prosperity throughout the country." He is unlikely to achieve any of these objectives soon. Two of Algeria's six wilayas (military districts) remain in a state of semirebellion. The country is deeply split by regionalism-the ancient rivalries among Berbers and Arabs, of townfolk and tribes. Kidnapings, rapes...
Handy Pistol. In eliminating so many opponents from the candidates' list, Ben Bella may have outsmarted himself. It leaves his foes comfortably outside his government and free of any responsibility for the harsh measures Ben Bella must take in the months ahead if he intends to restore order and revive the economy...
...last week all of Algeria's wrangling leaders seemed chillingly aware of the nation's disgust. Ex-Premier Benkhedda, despite his enmity toward Ben Bella, pointed the way to unity by going out and voting. And fiery army commander Colonel Houari Boumedienne kept himself and his Communist-equipped troops relatively out of sight. Only when the vote was in did Boumedienne announce a drive to crush antigovernment resistance in the region around Algiers...
What is abundantly clear is that few, if any, Algerian leaders would now attempt to clip Boumedienne's wings, as Benkhedda tried to do. Ben Bella, whom the colonel has known and supported since 1952, has more reason to fear that his government will not be able to rebuild Algeria's shattered economy or redistribute its land fast enough to please his impatient chief of staff. In that case, the next time Boumedienne marches, it will probably be to rivet army rule on Algeria. Boumedienne has often remarked that "the army is the spearhead of the revolution...