Benflis announces his nomination for Algerian presidency

Former Algerian prime minister Ali Benflis announced his determination to launch the presidential elections of 2004 as a representative for the national liberation front and widening the rift with President Abdul Aziz Butaflika.

Observers expect that the front will in its Saturday meeting approve the nomination of Benflis. A matter which might increase the rivalry in the elections to be held in the spring of 1004.

In a press conference, Benflis strongly criticized the policies of the president and accused Butaflika of "fabricating a large conspiracy against the national liberation front." Benflis stressed that the front will pursue in the coming phase a policy totally contradicting those pursued by Butaflika, considering that it will be the "policy of the future, progress, pluralism, freedom and democracy."

Ali Benflis is the first Algerian politician who nominates himself for the elections despite the fact that he was an official for the electoral campaign of President Butaflika in 1999 before he assumed the presidency of the government which he was fired from in May this year.

However, the Algerian army still maintains silence. It did not make any stand in the crisis which has been ongoing since months within the liberation front which enjoys the majority in the national society since the legislative elections in May, 2002. In the beginning of August Butaflika quitted 6 ministers of the national liberation front, associates to Ali Benflis.

The National liberation front faced difficult conditions following the clashes which took place in October 1988 and put an end to its total domination of the Algerian political life since the country's independence in 1961 and opened the door before party pluralism.