Butaflika fires Benflis, brings back Oyahya, due to Algerian presidential elections
Algeria, Politics, 5/6/2003

The Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika yesterday fired the Prime minister Ali Benflis after increased differences between them concentrated on the intention of Benflis to launch the Presidential elections due in 2004. He assigned Ahmad Oyahya to for a new government.

The Algerian Republic Presidency announced that Oyahya who assumed the presidency of the Algerian government between January 1995 and December 1988 "will start his consultations continuously in order to form his governmental team which he will introduce as soon as possible to President Butaflika. The statement said that Oyahya enjoys great experience in running the government.

Oyahya occupied the post of the secretary general of the Democratic National Coalition which takes part in the current government and is dominated by the National Liberation Front which Benflis runs its general secretariat.

Benflis government was formed in August 2000.

The Algerian news agency quoted Benflis as saying after a meeting with Butfalika that he did not take part in taking the decision of the resignation. He said "I want to tell the Algerians I did not resign." On the other hand, a spokesman for the Democratic National Coalition said that Oyaha will start the mission of forming the new government which has to deal with difficult issues including privatization; the increase of unemployment as well as social issues. The new government has also to prepare for the presidential elections.

The resignation came before the presidential elections, which takes place in Algeria in 2004, Benflis wants to launch.

Meantime, the Algerian dailies issued information of strong disagreement between the president and BenFlis, who reformed the Liberation Front which led him to victory in the recent parliamentary elections. The number of the Liberation Front seats increased from 64 in the previous parliament to 199 in the present parliament out of 389 seats. This success was also repeated in the local elections held in October 2002.

"The differences" erupted between Butaflika and BenFlis following the recent conference of the National Liberation Front which was held in March, after which the party decided to split from President Butaflika, and therefore Benflis was elected as head of the party for five years during March's conference.

The Algerian radio said that Butaflika asked Benflis, who was the director of his election campaign in the previous elections, to continue running the affairs of the government until a new prime minister is appointed. The radio added that the President thanked Benflis for his work especially his efforts in the area of social and economic reforms and over "what he had achieved while on top of the government and for his great contribution in launching the major workshops of reforms and in searching for necessary social and economic balances to continue boosting the country," but did not mention reasons behind firing Benflis.

Previous Stories:
  Algerian prime minister denies determination to resign   (4/22/2003)
  Oyahya calls for active Democratic views to oppose Islamists influence   (2/10/2003)
  Butaflika calls on the government to carry out partial local elections   (11/27/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search