In the two years since his re-election, Algerian President Abdul-Aziz Bouteflika has introduced sweeping political changes designed to consolidate his power, reports Adlène Meddi Political analysts believe the 69-year-old seasoned politician -- in office since 1999 -- is strengthening the foundations of his political rule by pushing forward amendments to the Algerian constitution. Algerian newspapers have indicated that the ruling party (National Liberation Front) submitted a report to President Bouteflika last month on the draft constitution prepared by one of its committees. The most significant proposed changes include amending Article 74 of the 1996 constitution to allow for the existing five-year presidential terms to be extended to seven years and to remove the two-term cap on the number of times a sitting president can run for re-election. Meanwhile, Bouteflika has also indicated he would not object to the creation of a new Islamic organisation, a statement analysts believe comes in the wake of the return of Rabih Kabir, a former leader of the now disbanded National Salvation Front (FIS). Kabir returned to Algeria in August after 14 years of exile in Germany and said he intended to set up a new political party. He had fled Algeria in 1992 -- months after the Algerian authorities cancelled the second round of elections the FIS was expected to win. He was sentenced to death in absentia for his alleged involvement in the bombing of Houari Boumedienne Airport in 1992, which claimed nine lives. Kabir and the late Abdul-Kader Hachani assumed leadership of the FIS following the arrest of the group's top two officials, Abbassi Madani and Ali Belhadj. Speaking at a press conference one day after his return, Kabir called on all militiamen to terminate their insurgency, return to normal life, and trust the Algerian state. The Algerian Ministry of Justice said that about 1,000 Algerians living abroad were qualified for amnesty, including some who fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s. And in what is considered a boost to Bouteflika, Kabir last week told the Al-Arabiya satellite news station: "I am for the amendment of the constitution for the sake of democracy and more freedoms, and at that point I will not have any objection to the opening of the arena for more than two terms for the president of the republic if the people elect him." Kabir had strongly supported Bouteflika's re-election bid in 2004, and promoted the draft reconciliation and peace charter when it was put to a popular referendum in September 2005. His position was in stark contrast to those of other Islamist leaders including former MP Anwar Haddam (currently residing in the US), Murad Dahina, a refugee in Switzerland, Bujuma� Bunuwa, now present in Britain, and Ahmed Al-Zawi, a refugee in New Zealand. They all believe the president's reconciliation and peace initiative unfairly blamed them for the bloodshed and violence during the 13-year insurgency; rather, they claim they are its primary victims. Kabir's return has fuelled speculation that the FIS could be planning a comeback on the political scene. At his press conference, Kabir indicated that FIS leaders were going to resume their political activities at the right time. "We have a future political project and no one is preventing us from exercising our political rights," he said. The fact that President Bouteflika wasn't enthusiastic about a FIS comeback didn't seem to bother Kabir. The president, he said, wanted to reconcile various views. When asked if he still advocated the creation of an Islamic state, Kabir said he supported a democratic state based on the principles of the 1954 revolution, with Islam being the official religion of the state. The former Islamist leader's statements have already sparked a firestorm in domestic Algerian politics. Abbassi Madani, now living in Qatar, didn't seem pleased with the assertiveness of his former underling. Speaking to a London-based television station, Madani said he wasn't against forming a new political party, but made it clear that Kabir should have consulted first with him and other FIS leaders. For the moment, it is unlikely Kabir is going to consult with his former superiors: "Those who agree with my views are welcome to join," he told journalists. Instead of seeking the approval of Madani, he called on "young FIS strugglers, especially those whose views have changed," to join him. Ahmed Ouyahia, former prime minister and secretary- general of the National Rally for Democracy, slammed Kabir's plans to form a new party, saying that the Peace and Reconciliation Charter bans any action that would "take Algeria back to the 1990s". The Peace and Reconciliation Charter also bans from political life anyone responsible for the country's current problems. Ouyahia described Kabir's return to Algeria as "no big deal". But Kabir is unwavering. "Yes, there is a future political project, and no one can prevent us from practising our political rights. We do not read any kind of banishment in the speeches of the president. On the contrary, he was intent on a balance between different viewpoints."
