After a military decree blocked voting that was expected to bring Islamic fundamentalists to power, Muslim leaders Monday implored followers not to provoke an army crackdown.
Tanks were deployed at key buildings and intersections in the capital, but the military otherwise kept a low profile as Islamic fundamentalists held private meetings to determine how to proceed.Members of the Islamic Salvation Front said the party's leaders were considering what to do if their movement is banned by the State Security Council. The council, which includes the defense minister, the military chief of staff and the prime minister, emerged as Algeria's chief authority after President Chadli Bendjedid resigned Saturday.
The council on Sunday called off runoff parliamentary elections that were to be held Thursday. The Islamic Salvation Front won the majority of seats in Algeria's first free national elections last month, and appeared ready to take control of the National Assembly.
Imams, or Muslim religious leaders, Monday sent out orders from the country's mosques warning Islamic militants to remain calm and avoid provoking the military into a bloody crackdown. Fundamentalist protests have led to more than 250 deaths since 1988.
The Islamic Salvation Front advocates strict adherence to Muslim tenets, including a ban on alcohol, separation of the sexes at school, and "protecting the family," a position widely interpreted as denying jobs to women.