National Liberation Front (Algeria)

From Free net encyclopedia

(Redirected from Front for National Liberation)

The National Liberation Front (Arabic: جبهة التحرير الوطني; transliterated: Jabhat al-Taḩrīr al-Waţanī, French: Front de Libération Nationale, hence FLN) is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.

1 Anticolonial struggle
2 Taking control of Algeria
3 Internal divisions
4 The Boumédiènne era
5 Present situation
6 External link

[edit]

Anticolonial struggle

The FLN is a continuation of the main revolutionary body that directed the war for independence against France. It was created by the Revolutionary Committee of Unity and Action. This Committee urged all the warring factions of the nationalist movement to unite and fight against France. By 1956 nearly all the nationalist organizations in Algeria had joined the FLN, which had established itself as the main nationalist group through both coopting and coercing smaller organizations. The most important group that remained outside the FLN was Messali Hadj's Mouvement National Algérien (MNA). At this time the FLN reorganized into something like a provisional government. It consisted of a five-man executive and legislative body.

The FLN's armed wing during the war was called the Armé de Libération Nationale (ALN). It was divided into guerrilla units fighting France and the MNA in Algeria (and wrestling with Messali's followers over control of the expatriate community, in the so-called "café wars" in France), and another, stronger component more resembling a traditional army. These units were based in neighbouring Arab countries (notably in Oujda in Morocco), and although they infiltrated forces and ran weapons and supplies across the border, they generally saw less action than the rural guerrilla forces. These units were later to emerge as "military clans" in the internal power-struggles of the FLN, and formed a powerful army-based opposition to the political cadres.

[edit]

Taking control of Algeria

The war for independence continued until March of 1962 when finally, the French government signed the Évian Accords, a cease-fire agreement with the FLN. In July the same year, the Algerian people approved of the cease-fire agreement with France in a referendum, and supported economic and social cooperation between the two countries as well. Full independence followed, and the FLN seized control over the country. Political opposition in the form of the MNA and Communist organizations was outlawed, and Algeria constituted as a one-party state. The FLN became its only legal and ruling party.

[edit]

Internal divisions

Immediately after independence, the party experienced an internal power struggle. Political leaders divided into rival camps around Ben Bella and his socialist radicals, and the head of the government-in-exile, intellectual moderate Ferhat Abbas. Abbas was soon outmanouvered, but the single most powerful political constituency remained the former ALN, which had entered largely unscathed from exile and was now organized as the country's armed forces; added to this were regionally powerful guerrilla irregulars and others who jockeyed for influence in the party.

[edit]

The Boumédiènne era

To consolidate control, a Political Bureau was established by Ahmed Ben Bella, the ALN's Col. Houari Boumédiènne, and Muhammad Khidr. Ben Bella became Prime Minister of Algeria in 1963, backed by the military; but the armed forces soon turned on him, and he was overthrown by Boumédienne in 1965. The Colonel held tight control over the party leadership until his death in 1978, at which time the party reorganized again under the leadership of the military's next candidate, Col. Chadli Bendjedid.

During the 1980s the FLN toned down the socialist content of its programme, but not until 1988 did massive demonstrations and riots jolt the country towards major political reform. Rival political organizations were permited, after the Algerian Constitution was then amended to allow a multiparty system and democracy. The electoral gains of the Islamist FIS however led to a military coup d'êtat against the weakened FLN government in 1991. Algeria was under direct military rule for some time, and after formal democracy was restored, the FLN remained outside the ruling apparatus; the military clans in power now drew their political legitimacy from other parties.

[edit]

Present situation

The party received 34.3% of the parliamentary vote in the latest elections of 2002 and has 199 members in parliament. The FLN's current secretary-general is Ali Benflis, who emerged as a rival to the President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Benflis won 6.4% of the vote at the presidential elections of April 8, 2004.

[edit]