Benflis vows to implement 100 democratic commitments: democracy, , liberalization of media

The candidates for Presidential elections in Algeria Ali Benflis, presented to the International center for the press yesterday the outline for his election program which was under the titled "a renewed national project," including 100 commitments he had vowed to implement if he wins against the current President Abdul Aziz Butaflika.

Benflis's program is summarized in 100 commitments he announced he will implement in case the "Algerian people give him confidence." The one hundred obligations are distributed on all walks of the Algerian political, economic and social life. He defined as his first obligation in the field of deepening the democratic process which he put in 8 obligations, the first is rehabilitation of the principle of balancing and separating authorities, lifting the state of emergency and defining the rights and the duties in the context of the nation.

In the economic field, Benflis obligations aim at achieving economic growth which provides work opportunities and vowed to establish some 1500 intermediate and small enterprises under his phase at the support and backing of the state. He will also work for reducing taxation on companies profits to 25% and ensuring the optimum conditions to attract national and foreign investments, as the state will contribute to "enabling the investors from benefiting from preparing industrial lands with water, electricity and gas. Among the most important in Benflis's commitments is in regard to " the radio and the TV." He undertakes to " liberalize the audio - visual media from the state's monopoly and to open it up to private investment and establish a higher commission for audio- visual media." The commitment in this field comes in answer to depriving all opposition parties from benefiting for the Algerian TV under the rule of Butaflika.

Benflis's presentation of the mainlines for his electoral program comes four days before the beginning of the elections campaign officially next Thursday.