Frontiers of democracy widen as six candidates seek the peoples' mandate with divergent platforms.

After the Presidential election next Thursday Algeria may never be the same again. The democratic whirlwind sustained, nourished and engendered by the vibrant campaigns of the six Presidential candidates is building a lasting culture of political pluralism. The option of the two frontline candidates, incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Ali Benflis to run on an independent platform is an indication of a peculiar aspect of Algerian politics. Since the race proper rumbled off, the six candidates have been on the road.

All the 48 "Waliyas" (Divisions) in Algeria are taking turns receiving the contenders. Incumbent President Bouteflika was in Tlemcen, a day before FAP vollyball team arrived the city. Tlemcen is the home division of the President whose village is a few kilometres from the city . The metropolis like most other parts of the country visited by the President and his entourage are flooded with effigies and pictures of the incumbent. Accompanying the President in his nation wide tour is a robost political agenda, loaded with a balance sheet of achievements. The President and his supporters insist that Algeria has taken a huge step forward, in all aspects of national life.

Almost all candidates are said to be pulling crowds as they narrow down to the D-day. Over the weekend in Tizi Ouzou, Said Sadi, the Presidential candidate born in Kabylie pulled a record audience . The medical doctor specialised in Psychiatry who was sent to prison many times during the one party reign called on voters to come out and "sanction the regime responsible for the problems in your region." Ali Benflis until recently secretary general of the FLN and Prime Minister was last Thursday in the industrial City of Oran and later Annaba and Tissemsilt. The former PM, fired in May 2003 is promising to "flush out" his boss from power and "insititute meaningful reform within the public service". Another candidate, Abdallah Djballah was rounding up his campaigns in Constantine, Oran and Mostaganem. The leader of the Movement for National Reform (MRN) is the only "islamic" candidate. He has taken extra pains in his campaign to give his formation an image of peace and responsibility. Ironically, his undoing may not be unconnected to the image he is strenuously struggling to build. Djaballah's message in the last few days has been pegged on the difference "between the legislative elections of 1991 and the upcoming Presidential 2004". He insists that "the islamic platform will be in power after next Thursday".

Ali Fouzi Rabaiane and Louisa Hanoune have also been on a rigorous campaign trail. Mrs. Louisa Hanoune is making history as the first female Presidential candidate in Algeria. As a labour leader, Louisa has been asking for a mandate to improve on the social conditions of all Algerian workers. Ali Fouzi, son of a living legend of the Algerian war of independence is also a frontline human rights acitvist who had faced incarceration for his ideas. For the past one week scores of media organisations and international observers have been arriving the country for the event. The Algerian Ministry of communication and culture has installed an office at the Haouri Boumediene International Airport in Algieirs to welcome and provide newsmen and women with the available tools for their work. A few days to actual balloting, all appears to be in place for a transparent democratic election in Algeria.

Speculations point to the incumbent President taking the lead given the national spread his platform enjoys. The balance sheet of his last mandate in the thinking of some observers, "speaks louder than words."

Whatever the outcome of the election, Algeria as a nation and a people have already scored a sterling victory with the effective implantation of a virile multi-party democracy.