Rarely off the national television channels, Bouteflika has embarked on a gruelling round of international summits and meetings that aim to build international confidence in Algeria - and in the authority of its new president. At home, Bouteflika has made a series of announcements aimed to shore up his personal popularity. He has promised to stamp out corruption, taking steps to oust some of the most crooked wilayat, or county council, leaders and was also poised to reshuffle the government of Smain Hamdani at the time of going to press. Even the authorities recognise that the foreign commerce that was the monopoly of the state is becoming the monopoly of individuals. The economy is becoming the monopoly of 10 to 15 individuals.
Nothing is done for production and everything is done for imports because of baksheesh.
No Algerian president has said this before, but whether Bouteflika intends to achieve genuine reform, and has the authority to achieve it, remains to be seen. Significantly, Bouteflika has been careful to appease the Algerian military. After the return to stability, the army will become a professional army - nothing more. There are some signs of new business confidence. Relations with Morocco look set to improve, with the opening of borders between the two countries now becoming a very real prospect.