Banning of special conference of the Algerian National Liberation front
Algeria, Politics, 10/4/2003

An Algerian court yesterday ( Friday) asked for banning the convening of a special conference for the National Liberation Front (the only party formerly ) that was dedicated to declare the nomination of its secretary general Ali Benflis officially for the presidential elections in the spring of 2004.

A judicial source explained that this decision -- which was notified to the ministry of the Interior -- was taken at the request of members of the Correction Movement of the National Liberation Front which was established by the foreign minister Abdul Aziz Balkhadem to appeal decisions of the front's recent conference.

The court of the capital Algiers informed the ministry of the interior that since this is issue is still being considered, the Liberation Front cannot convene its extraordinary conference which expected to be held at the headquarters of the party in Algiers today ( Saturday).

This measure, however, comes with the background of the escalation of the political crisis between the Front and the presidency of the republic and a crowning to the attempts made since months by opposition forces of Benflis line towards reviewing the resolutions of the front's 8th congress in March this year which gave Benflis plenary authorities.

Also the forces opposing Benflis and support the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika seek to organize another conference in an attempt to reverse the decisions of the 8th conference.

In the most recent development of the situation between the two sides, the National Liberation Front decided on Thursday to withdraw its ministers who are close to Ali Benflis from the current governmental coalition.

The Front justified this decision by what it called "irresponsible and illogical behavior of the designated President Abdul Aziz Butaflika," stressing that the ministers who chose to join Butaflika are no longer members in the party.

In May this year, President Butaflika removed Ali Benflis from the post of the prime minister and then six ministers from the front, close to Benflis were removed.

Previous Stories:
  Political crisis escalate between Algeria's liberation front, Butaflika   (10/3/2003)
  Asharq Al-Awsat: Sahara issue: Morocco attached to dialogue for political settlement, FM   (10/3/2003)
  Algeria: an extraordinary conference to nominate Benflis on Saturday   (10/2/2003)

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