Bouteflika to take office tomorrow
Algerian President-elect Abdelaziz Bouteflika tomorrow will take his constitutional oath at the nations's palace in al-Sunouber club in the presence of some 1,200 invitees encompassing high-ranking Algerian state officials.
A reception is expected to be heldoin the same day at al-Shaab palace for senior officials and members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Algiers, during which the chairman of the order of merit committee, Amman bin Odeh, will invest Bouteflika with the national order of merit, the first and excellent "order of merit" in the country.
Well- informed sources in the Algerian capital said that Bouteflika extended five official invitations to five former officials: Bin Youssef Bin Khaddeh, the second premier for a provisional government before Algeria's independence 1959 - 1962; Ahmad Bin Bella, the Algerian President from 1962-1965; Rabih Bettat, speaker of the people's assembly who succeeded former Algerian President Huari Bu Median following his death; the former Algerian President Shazli Bin Jdid 1979- 1992; and Ali Kafe, chairman of the state's higher council 1992- 1994.
The oath-taking ceremony will be also attended by outgoing Algerian President Liamine Zeroual.
Bouteflika is expected to establish the Majlis al-Hukamaa ("council of the wise"), including in its membership Zeroual and chaired by Rabeh Bitat.
Meanwhile, The Algerian authorities prevented a march that was due to be staged today by the six candidates who withdrew from the presidential elections in the capital, Algiers.
A spokesman for the six opposition leaders said on Sunday that the six men met to discuss their strategy after the authorities have banned the organization from marching in protest in the streets of Algiers.
Sameer Bu Okeir the spokesman of the socialites forces front said that "the authorities did not give any justification for not authorizing the march and that those responsible for preventing it will be charged."
He also said "instead of the public march, the 5 former candidates decided making a symbolic, as well as organizing a public assembly in 'Harsh' hall in the capital on coming Thursday."
Bu Okerr said "preventing the public march proves the credibility of the front's warnings of the expected restriction on the political work and limiting individual and collective liberties - as he says."
He also said "the 5 candidates will convene a press conference in the front's headquarter tomorrow morning in the same timing of placing the new president in power, following which a joint statement will be issued regarding liberties.