Algerian army warns presidential candidates from misusing the constitution

The commander of the Algerian army, Lt. Gen. Muhammad al-Ammari, warned candidates for the post of the President of the republic from the consequences of violating the constitution, and party pluralism; the republican features.

He said that the "People's national army will be always monitoring on the spot." In statements issues by the Algerian papers, al-Ammari said "the military establishments closely follows up what is taking place on the political arena" in a warning most expectedly to be meant the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Buraflika, whose opponents said that he is inclined to abuse power. A matter which raised the protest of several politicians, the press and the Islamists.

Algerian papers said that the warning is also addressed to the Islamic factions which seeks to establish an Islamic state.

This warning, however, constituted an explanation to the position of the army in not wanting to be aligned to any candidate, but simultaneously is careful not to remain neutral concerning honoring the constitution.

Commenting on this warning, the former Algerian foreign minister, the moderate Islamist, Ahmad Taleb al-Ibraheimi, said that the position of the army is positive so far and "we do not want them to alienate Butaflika and bring another one instead, rather we want to change the regime in a way that permits the people to choose by themselves, rather than a group of four or five persons to choose the President alone and impose him on the Algerians."

The retired Lt. Gen. and the candidate for the Presidential elections, Rasheed Bin Yals, welcomed this statement, but he added that it is still not enough, and that matters should be clarified more, and Butaflika's violations should be ended being through the intervention of the army or by any other means.

Lt. Gen. Al-Ammar asked the military men in a decree issued on December 6, 2003 to honor the duty of neutrality.