Algerian president: Presidential elections to start today despite withdrawals
Algeria, Politics, 4/15/1999

Algerian President Liamine Zeroual has asserted that his country's presidential elections will be held at their set time today. He called upon the Algerian citizens to take part in the elections to elect a new president for the country.

In a televised speech on Wednesday night, the Algerian President described the decision taken by the other six candidates for the Presidency as "very dangerous and a violation to assigned responsibilities." He said that justifications made by the candidates for their withdrawal were " weak and fragile."

Zeroual expressed his confidence that the Algerian people are quite aware of the volume of the "pledge," and will be once again up to the responsibility. He added that these elections are proceeding within conditions of transparency and freedom, asserting that he will not permit limiting the free will of the Algerian people by any obstacle or any attempt to lead the country to a deadlock.

The Algerian president added that the Algerian people are the ones who will make their assessment of the overt and covert reasons on which the six candidates built their withdrawal from the elections.

Earlier six candidates for the Algerian Presidency had announced their collective withdrawal from taking part in the elections due to the ignorance of the Algerian presidency of their collective request to meet with President Zeroual to explain their protest over the elections held for the special and mobile offices, the "honesty" of which the said six candidates doubt.

The six withdrawn candidates are Ahmad Taleb al-Ibraheimi, Hussein Ait Ahmad, Youssef al-Khatib, Maouloud Hamroush, Miqdad Seifi, and Abdullah Jabullah.

Meanwhile, voting operations for Algerian army forces and security personnel to elect a new president for Algeria started on Tuesday and lasted for two days. It aims at enabling these forces to ensure security and the best conditions to enable Algeria's citizens to carry out their electoral duties.

The voting operations for the army have been carried out inside units of the army and security forces and in the presence of five persons representing the seven candidates and a representative for the independent "national committee" to monitor the elections so as to ensure "honest" voting.

Previous Stories:
  Algerian elections to be held on Thursday   (4/13/1999)
  Algeria: Heart attack surprises Ayat Ahmed, stops his presidential campaign   (4/5/1999)
  Head of election monitoring committee in Algeria: no time to external monitors   (4/1/1999)

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