Reconciliation referendum in Algeria expected to pass

Preliminary statistics show that the rate of turnout among voters for the referendum of "national reconciliation and peace charter " in Algeria reached 17% for Thursday morning. A weak rate, amid expectation of an increased turnout after the Algerians finish their work day.

Observers expect the referendum will pass, stressing that the real commitment of its supporters is to achieve greater majority, to be no less of what the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika got in the recent presidential elections, estimated at 84%. Such a high percentage is considered a strong demand from the Algerians to their President to proceed forward in the national reconciliation policy.

The referendum which Butaflika proposed, aims at ending at least 10 years of acts of violence which resulted in killing at least 100,000 persons, and great economic damage to the country.

A high ranking source close to the Algerian government said that a great majority of the Algerians on Thursday approved in a general referendum an initiative for "peace and national reconciliation" proposed by the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika.

The same source which asked to be anonymous said that it is clear that the votes agreeing with the presidential initiative are high, noting that in the districts which were the most vulnerable to acts of violence, voters participation reached 90%.

Meantime, the Algerian minister of the Interior Yazid Zarhouni said that the rate of participation in the Algerian referendum reached 79.49%.

Zarhouni added that "this intensive participation indicates the desire of the Algerian people to solve the crisis ultimately in Algeria," noting that the lowest rate of participation was 11.40% in Teizi Ozo ( 110 Km east of Algeria ) and 11.55% in Bejaya ( 260 Km east of the country).