Riot police have been deployed in the centre of the Algerian capital, Algiers, ahead of a planned anti-government rally. The government has banned the protest, but opposition and rights groups say they intend to go ahead with the march. Algeria - like other countries in the region - has recently witnessed demonstrations for greater freedoms. On Friday, police stopped people from gathering to celebrate the fall of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak. The BBC's Chloe Arnold in Algiers say the authorities want to avert any popular uprising similar to those in Tunisia and Egypt. "We are ready for the march," Mohsen Belabes, a spokesman for the small Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) opposition party, said. "It's going to be a great day for democracy in Algeria," he told Reuters news agency. 'Armoured vehicles' Demonstrations are banned in Algeria because of a state of emergency which has been in place since 1992. A heavy police presence is normal in Algeria but far more officers than usual were in place hours before the start of the protest at 1100 local time (1000 GMT), Reuters reports. At least 15 police vans, jeeps and buses were lined up at 1 May Square, where the march is due to start, and about the same number on a nearby side-street outside the city's Mustapha hospital. Small military-style armoured vehicles were also parked at junctions around the city. Earlier this month, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika reportedly said the country's state of emergency would be lifted in the "very near future". Mr Bouteflika made the announcement at a meeting with government ministers in the capital Algiers, according to the country's state-run media. He said protests would be allowed everywhere in the country except in the capital. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12438015

^You alluded to Turkey's military. Since the founding of the republic, the 'secular' army staged four coups the last being in 1997.I think it's fair to say that's more than temporary arrangement. The army became so politicized that no piece of legislation gets passed without the consent of the generals and their cronies at the Constitutional Court and this was the era of militant secularism in Turkey where theoretically the institutions of democracy and free market liberalism should have been entrenched. The problem with entrusting undemocratic institution with the country's fate is that the institution looks after its interests first and that of the people second. In the name of defending secularism, the army was given unchecked powers which it used to its own benefits. Apart from current Islamist leaning Justice and Development Party, no Turkish Government was ever reelected consecutively. Every Turkish Government prior the rise of the Islamists came and went within the span of three years or less, not enough time to institute any meaningful social, economic and political change. Ironically enough, it's under the Islamists that Turkey's economy grew exponentially, its politics stabilized and stature rose joining the likes of Brazil, India and China. Even more interesting, it's under this Islamist Government that Turkish's accession talks was initiated. The point here is any ideology sustained by brute force and not derived from people's consent could be hardly considered fair and free.

Taleexi....He still has his socks on;)

Prometheus...I just wanna go back to the something you said about the army being the guardians of secularism. How can the least democratic institution of the State be entrusted with such power and by making the army not answerable to the civilian rulers, aren't you in essence weakening the very institutions that are the bedrock of the democratic process?

Val-you are ruining the fun with your sane comments and common sense:p

Somalia has to break down to the primal existence- each tribe on his own before they realize one can't exist in vacuum and without the other.

^N shoes either.

^Good point!

Val and Malika-You are trying to reason with people in state of euphoria and gadaal ka gaar like NGONGE is even worse.

Faroole

^How's militant secularism different religious militants?

Xaaji dadkaa gureey dhulka ma gureey mantra is on haye?

It's only fair chaos comes to the north-finally we are united again.

Ratcheting up tribal warfare is no one's interest,

LooooooooooL@argagaxiso....the timing is just wrong. This doesn't sell anymore.

^Yes I do. I'm get paid back in different currency though. Married life must be boring. There should be an expiration date, so NGONGE won't have to tell this sort of stories:p

^You said enough with your presence.

One minute of my life I'm not getting back-dam nigg@

Abwaan....Caabudwaaq waa Soomaali doon dee.

^Norf doesn't definately agree with that, maybe even NGONGE will reverse course:D

^LoooooooooooL...Haa dee:p Norf....I guess we will have to disagree.

^I sympathize with the guy. Unlike Donald Payne, he can't afford to snub the queen and turn down her invitation.

Apparently Al-Shabaab was part of the fighting. Waxii xun Xaawe leh sheekada. But in all seriousness, these people couldn't have picked the wrong to wage war. Somalia is in the amidst of worst drought in ages, the last thing people need is war. I hope cooler heads will prevail.

"Shirkaa Uu Tagay Wasiirka Khaarajiga Somaliland Ee Uu Yidhi Talaa Nala Waydiinayaa Hadduu Kasoo Qayb-Galo Wasiiru-khaarijiga Somaliya Khiyaano Qaranbaanu U Aragnaa..." Eng Faysal Cali Waraabe DHAGAYSO Guddoomiye Faysal oo ka hadlaaya xafladdii xuska Marxuum Timacade ayuu eedayn iyo talooyinba u soo jeediyey xukuumadda Siilaanyo, Waxa kaloo uu soo qaaday xarriyatulqawlka iyo xadhiga Suldaan Raabi Iyo Suxufiyiintaba DHAGAYSO http://www.hadhwanaagnews.com/ Who dare piss Musa Sudi?