Statement by the Confederation of Productive Forces Trade Unions on the President’s Call to Strengthen National Reconciliation

Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces cosyfop In a statement to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the ministry called for strengthening national reconciliation and a comprehensive national dialogue aimed at protecting Algerian sovereignty. This statement reads:

The Confederation of Productive Forces Trade Unions expresses its sincere thanks and appreciation to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for the presidential pardon and calming measures recently implemented, which included 2,471 detainees. This positive step reflects the President's commitment to strengthening national stability and achieving reconciliation, a step we strongly appreciate and support.

However, we are deeply concerned by recent diplomatic developments in Algerian-French relations, particularly following Algeria's announcement that it had foiled a French intelligence plot. These tensions further complicate the situation and require wise and cautious handling to protect Algeria's interests and sovereignty.

We also express our astonishment and bewilderment at the rise of certain individuals, who claim to be members of the Algerian opposition, to the forefront of the French media, criticizing the political and human rights situation in Algeria. This is despite the fact that they have never fought within the country and have never faced the pain and hopes of the Algerian opposition living on Algerian soil. These individuals in no way represent the true will of the Algerian people, nor do they express the aspirations of the honorable opposition struggling to build a strong, democratic state.

The attacks of these opportunistic parties do not serve the interests of the Algerian opposition. Rather, they harm it, distort its image in the eyes of the national public, and obstruct the peaceful struggle for the change that Algerians aspire to. On the other hand, the existing political authority bears a large part of the responsibility for the emergence of such phenomena, as the policy of repression and exclusion practiced against honest and pure opposition voices within the country pushes some voices abroad to be exploited by foreign parties to advance agendas that do not serve the interests of Algeria or its people.

It is time for the current government to move beyond the policy of security and open the doors to comprehensive dialogue with all honorable opposition voices that refuse to be a tool in the hands of foreigners. The threats targeting Algeria have become clear, and intransigence and closed doors will only lead to further crisis and division. Our great fear for Algeria compels us to break the cycle of silence and call on the President of the Republic to expedite measures for calm and genuine national reconciliation, beginning with the following steps:

1- Release prisoners of conscience who were imprisoned simply for expressing their opinions and criticizing government policy.

2- Opening the national media space to constructive critical voices that present their ideas objectively and without insulting or attacking state institutions.

3- Providing sufficient guarantees to opposition members exiled abroad due to their participation in the popular movement to return to their homeland and participate in building the state in an atmosphere free from police or judicial harassment.

4- Serious preparation for a comprehensive national dialogue with all opposition parties whose struggle does not conflict with the interests of countries with ambitions in Algeria, and the formation of a joint committee to prepare for this dialogue.

Adopting this package of measures will be a major step toward blocking the path of opportunists who exploit the tense political and social situation and the government's security-led policy in Algeria for personal gain. It will also restore the dignity of every honest Algerian who has honorably opposed and criticized the authorities, motivated by the desire to build a strong, democratic, and popular state, as the martyrs and fighters of the blessed liberation revolution desired.

Finally

The Confederation of Productive Forces Trade Unions emphasizes the need to unite and stand as a united front in the face of the challenges facing Algeria. We call on everyone to overcome their differences and focus on the nation's greater interests, because Algeria deserves all of us to work together for a better future.

Read also: Statement on the Pardon Issued by the President of the Republic - November 1, 2024