Yazid, construction worker, 29 years old

If I vote or not, it will change nothing. The last time I wanted to vote was in 1999. Bouteflika was the only candidate after the withdrawal of his six opponents. I decided at the end of the afternoon to put a blank ballot in the ballot box, but when I arrived, I found out that my vote had already been cast – for the FLN, it could not have been for any other party - like that of my father and my brothers who had never left the house that day. An election official even tried to stamp my voter’s card when I showed it to prove that I did not vote! 


The problem in Algeria is one of clientelism. Too often, people work in state enterprises like Sonatrach or Air Algérie, not because of their skills or qualifications, but because of their personal networks and the salaries that are offered to them. This does not help the country’s growth. In politics, it is even worse. Without going to the head of state, at the town level, I have seen dozens of elected officials go from one party to another because they have felt tricked out of not having profited from the system, from state contracts, when they were in power. I know them, some of them are my friends, my family members… 


Like all Algerians, I reckon on building garages on the ground floor of the house that I am now building, brick by brick, in order to establish businesses or rent them out. I am going to make three or four, since we are four brothers. I would like to set up an ironworks with a friend. As I do not have the title to the land, I cannot declare my activities to the commercial authorities, but I can register as an artisan.

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