Algerians Vote on Changes to Constitution

Defying threats of violence by Islamic extremists who have waged a fierce four-year insurrection, Algerians voted Thursday on constitutional changes that would give their president greater powers and outlaw political parties based on religion, language or ethnicity.

The vote represented the latest attempt by Algeria’s ruling regime to steer the country toward normalcy after a civil war that has claimed about 60,000 lives since 1992.

Polls close at 8 p.m. and early results were expected today, but there was little doubt that the measure would pass comfortably.

Algerians have been looking for an escape from the bloody conflict that has pitted its military-backed government against the banned Islamic Salvation Front, known by the acronym FIS.

FIS was headed to victory in the country’s first multi-party elections in January 1992 when the country’s military, alarmed at the prospect of an Islamic takeover after three decades of one-party rule by the National Liberation Front, stepped in and canceled the vote.

Since then, fighting has left the North African country of 28 million people in agony, with the violence occasionally spilling over into Europe. Militants have resorted to car bombs and beheadings and have targeted journalists, foreign workers, priests and nuns for death.

The government has used similarly tough methods, including air raids, napalm and torture, in its efforts to crush guerrilla groups.

Until recently, the government had appeared to be gaining the upper hand. But Islamic groups in the seven weeks leading to the referendum showed that they are still a potent force, launching a series of attacks and bombings that have killed about 250 people.

The 140,000-strong army was placed on alert during Thursday’s voting, and tens of thousands of security officers were deployed to guard 35,533 polling stations.

By early afternoon, more than half of the electorate had gone to the polls, according to the Interior Ministry.

The vote was being closely watched by Algeria’s neighbors, including Egypt, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, whose governments are fearful that Algerian-style Islamic violence could spread across North Africa.

“Today is an important day to determine the future of Algeria,” Egypt’s Al Akhbar daily newspaper said. “The government’s proposed amendments [to the constitution] are the foundation for the stability that is aspired to by the Algerian people.”

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A main principle in the revised constitution is that parties should not base their appeals on religion.

It addresses the problem felt by many Arab governments: that they are being drawn into bidding wars with opposition groups over which is the more Islamic.

If approved by a majority of Algeria’s 16.4 million voters, the revised charter would strengthen the powers of President Liamine Zeroual, allowing him to appoint most senior government officials and a portion of a new Senate. However, the president would be subject to impeachment and be limited to two five-year terms of office.

Besides Islamists, some of the strongest opposition to the constitutional changes has come in the Berber region of Kabylia.

Berbers, the indigenous people of Algeria before the 7th century Arab conquest, constitute at least a quarter of the population and have long wanted constitutional recognition of their language.

Supporting the referendum is the National Liberation Front, which waged an eight-year rebellion against French colonial rule that killed an estimated 1 million people before attaining independence in 1962.