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Algerian Party Official Says Law on Colonialism "Brought Shame" on France

Posted on: Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 18:00 CST

Text of report by Algerian TV on 29 November

Parties of the presidential coalition said today that they were displeased with the French parliament's refusal to repeal the 23 February 2005 law that glorifies colonialism. The secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the National Liberation Front, Abdelaziz Belkhadem, said French parliament's stance harmed Algerian- French relations. He added that the two parties would like to see relations of friendship on the basis of respect of the two countries' sovereignty. He said that the two countries did not want the history of relations between them to be affected. He added Algerians considered colonialism as unjust and as a crime. He said it did not make sense that the ruling party in France would insist that colonialism had positive aspects.

For his part, the spokesman for Democratic National Rally, Miloud Chourfi, said he was astonished that the French parliament maintained this law despite the numerous voices that called for it to be repealed, he said, even within France itself. He said that his party intended to continue to demand that this law be repealed.

The deputy president of the Movement of Society for Peace, Abdelmadjid Menasra, said this law gave a bad image of the French occupation. He added that it was an insult to all Algerians who had thought that France would conclude a friendship agreement with Algeria. He said that he hoped that sensible people in France would continue their struggle in order for this law to be repealed. He added that this law brought shame on France.

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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