Algerian Election

During my trip to Doha last month I mentioned my upcoming trip this week to Algeria. Several colleagues of mine especially my Tunisian colleague, Nada, mentioned how things may a bit rough due to the timing of the elections taking place in the middle of last month. Surprising no one, the FLN candidate, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was going to be a shoe-in. In fact, he won over 80% of the vote, despite his reported poor health that Arab Spring uprisings and their continuous aftershocks in the region. When I was last in Algeria, two years ago, I saw a country poised to leave its socialist, planned economy days behind with fresh investment from China and an infrastructure that desperately needed Chinese help. Two years later, it will be important that these large investment projects are starting to have a positive impact in people's lives. If I get my visa in time... I"ll let you know what I see.