ALGIERS, July 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria’s interim president Abdelkader
Bensalah has called for a national dialogue to prepare for delayed
presidential elections, vowing that the state and the military would remain
neutral in the process.
In a speech on Wednesday he did not set a timetable for when the talks
would be launched. But he said “this dialogue… will be led freely and with
total transparency by national independent figures who have credibility and who are not linked to any party”.
“The state in all its components, including the military, will not be party
to this dialogue and will remain neutral throughout,” Bensalah added.
His comments were a clear response to protesters who have flooded the
streets of the Algerian capital and other cities and towns since February,
initially against a bid by Bouteflika to seek a fifth term.
But even after the ailing president resigned in April, protesters have
continued to rally, pushing for key backers of Bouteflika’s 20-year-rule —
such as Bensalah — to step down before any new polls to elect his successor
are held.
Bensalah made the proposal on the eve of Algeria’s 57th anniversary of
independence from French rule and ahead of the 20th consecutive Friday of
anti-government demonstrations.
His offer comes just days before his interim mandate expires on July 9, in
line with the constitution which stipulates a 90-day period during which new presidential elections should be held.
Following his appointment by lawmakers on April 9, Bensalah pledged to
organise a “transparent” presidential election but a vote planned for July 4
was scrapped after the only two candidates were rejected.
During the weekly protests, demonstrators have been chanting: “No elections with this gang in power.”
But during his speech, Bensalah urged demonstrators to set aside
“unrealistic requirements that are likely to prolong the current situation
and drag our country into a… constitutional vacuum”.
Bensalah has already said that because of Algeria’s “exceptional situation”
he has no other choice but to prolong his interim as head of state until a
new presidential election.
Protesters have repeatedly called on Bensalah and other Bouteflika-era
officials to step down, but they believe that the real powerbroker today in
Algeria is army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah.
Gaid Salah was an ally of the ailing president, but as pressure from
demonstrators mounted he ultimately called for the long-time leader’s
impeachment.
“Everything will depend” on who is chosen to take part in the dialogue
proposed by the interim president, says Abdelouahab Fersaoui, president of
the Rally for Youth Action civil society group. — NNN-AGENCIES
