US embassy cable - 05ALGIERS2047

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 002047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, AG, FR 
SUBJECT: FRENCH EMBASSY COUNSELOR COMMENTS ON REFERENDUM, 
TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP 
 
REF: ALGIERS 2037 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard W. Erdman, Reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
1. (C) At the German national day reception October 3, French 
Embassy Second Counselor Alexandre Garcia told DCM that the 
French Embassy was convinced that the official vote 
participation figures released by Minister of Interior 
Zerhouni September 30 were fraudulent, at least for the city 
of Algiers (see reftel).  Garcia said the French Embassy had 
visited seven polling places in Algiers, once in the morning 
and again in the afternoon and found all seven virtually 
deserted both times.  He said the senior poll worker at one 
site had claimed in the morning that most voters would come 
in the afternoon and then said in the afternoon that most 
voters had voted in the morning.  He agreed that voter 
turnout likely was much higher in rural areas and smaller 
cities.  Garcia added jokingly that he had to admire the 
discipline of the Algerian poll workers, since not one had 
been quoted in the press confirming that the voter 
participation numbers were fraudulent.  Garcia further joked 
that the Algerian civil service had learned this kind of 
discipline from the French. 
 
2. (C) Garcia volunteered that, speaking personally, he had 
been impressed by State Department Spokesman McCormack's 
comment on the referendum, since it stated that the U.S. 
would have liked to see an open public debate of President 
Bouteflika's Charter for National Reconciliation.  Garcia 
commented that the French Embassy had not drafted the French 
Foreign Ministry statement, which "saluted this democratic 
consultation in which the Algerian people have participated." 
 While noting that the reference to democratic consultation 
clearly was overdone, Garcia added that if France had made 
the same statement the U.S. did, it would have touched off a 
major crisis since any French commentary on Algerian domestic 
politics comes laden with emotional baggage.  He also 
observed that the French are making utmost efforts to treat 
Algeria with kid gloves at least until the Treaty of 
Friendship is signed. 
 
3.  (C) Comment:  The French continue to insist that the 
Treaty of Friendship is on track to be signed by the end of 
the year.  During a political rally in Batna September 20, 
Bouteflika commented, in the context of remarks about the 
Treaty, that "he who has made a mistake must have the courage 
and modesty to ask forgiveness.  Our hearts are big enough to 
grant it."  Apparently in response to this comment, the 
French MFA spokesman stated that the negotiations over the 
treaty are on course and "all dimensions of the 
Franco-Algerian relationship are being taken into account." 
This statement was interpreted in the Algerian press as 
meaning that France is considering issuing an official 
apology to Algeria for France's brutal treatment of Algerians 
during colonization and especially during the War of 
Independence.  Meanwhile, in the national reconciliation 
context, Bouteflika himself set the example by apologizing 
and asking pardon, on behalf of himself and the State, from 
all the victims of Algeria's national tragedy. 
ERDMAN