ALGIERS – Various plans and proposals have been formulated by the political class to avoid an institutional deadlock in the country, when the term of the President of the Republic in office expires on April 28th.
In response to the various remarks and positions of the political parties with respect to the proposal of the Army Corps General, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of Staff of People’s National Assembly relating to the activation of Article 102 of the Constitution as a solution to the political crisis that the country is going through, the latter proposed, Saturday, the application of two other articles of the country’s basic law.
In addition to Article 102 already proposed, these are articles 7, 8 of the Constitution. Article 7 stipulates that “the people are the source of all power”, while Article 8 reaffirms “the people exercise their sovereignty through the institutions they set themselves” and also by referendum and through its elected representatives “.
The Peace Society Movement (MSP) considered, in this framework, that the application of Article 102 of the Constitution, triggering the procedure of declaration of the state of impediment of the President of the Republic, “does not on its own enable the implementation of reforms, the democratic transition and the organization of credible and transparent elections”.
Situating the role of the army in this conjuncture, he indicated that it is up to it “to accompany” the outcome of a political settlement of consensus to the political crisis and the preservation of the civil character of the Algerian State, reiterating its call for the creation of an independent body for the organization of elections.
In the same vein, the Talaie El-Hurriyate party of former Prime Minister Ali Benflis considered the appeal of Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Chief of Staff of the National People’s Army (ANP), on the implementation of Article 102 of the Constitution, “illustrates the ANP’s willingness to contribute to finding a rapid solution to the current crisis, to prevent the situation from becoming more complicated.
Nevertheless, the application of Article 102 alone “is not enough as a basis for the settlement of the political crisis”, according to the party that considers it necessary to ensure the “conditions of transparency” to allow the Algerian people to express their choice “freely and without any guardianship”.
The National Democratic Rally (RND), one of the main parties in the presidential alliance, called for a “quick” government formation to avoid any constitutional vacuum.
Its Secretary General, Ahmed Ouyahia, has welcomed the proposal of Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah, on the implementation of Article 102 of the Constitution, saying that this “will prevent the country from a situation of blockage”, paying tribute to the ANP which “ensures the security of Algeria and respect for the Constitution”.
At the same time, he invited Mr Bouteflika to “submit his resignation in accordance with Article 102 of the Constitution”.
In contrast to this vision, the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), which considers that the application of Article 102 of the Constitution comes “late”, proposes a flattening of the institutional building.
To do this, he advocated the resignation of the head of state and the dissolution of both houses of Parliament and the Constitutional Council.
The first step is then to create a “high transition body, equipped with all means” to pilot a transition phase “as short as possible”.
Vacancy in state institutions can lead to anarchy
He also proposed the creation of an independent national body for the organization of elections, as part of this process leading to the election of the President of the Republic “before the end of October 2019”.
The Front of Socialist Forces (FFS), which has always claimed the election of a constituent assembly, has taken a decided position, saying that the application of Article 102 “does not meet the demands of the Algerian people who demand the system change and not a change in the system “.
For the oldest opposition party, the change “must be the emanation of the popular will by the election of a sovereign constituent assembly and the advent of the 2nd republic, that is to say the consecration of the rule of law, the democratic and social alternative “.
For this party, the only outcome lies in a “sovereign national constituent assembly”, through which the people will define the nature of the regime and the institutions to be set up for “the satisfaction of all their democratic, economic, social, and cultural aspirations”.
Before the Chief of Staff made public his proposal for the implementation of Article 102 of the Constitution on March 26, the party of the National Liberation Front (FLN) called on all political forces to adhere to the road map (inclusive National Conference) to which President Bouteflika had called, saying that all proposals that “try to create vacancies in state institutions can lead to anarchy”.
This group rejected the proposal to set up a “presidential authority”, saying it will “recreate the 1992 scenario through the temptations of involving the army in the process”.
Opposition parties, representatives of autonomous unions and national figures, gathered on 23 March at the headquarters of the Algerian Front for Development, Freedom and Justice (FADLJ), proposed “a roadmap for a political solution in the framework of popular legitimacy, to be implemented at the end of the current presidential term “.
This roadmap provides for “the institution of a short transition period during which the prerogatives of the outgoing president will be transferred to a presidential body composed of national figures known for their credibility, probity and competence to take charge of the demands of the people and its members will abstain from any candidacy or proposal of candidacy during the next elections “.
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