A debate in Algeria has begun to heat up over the fate of acting Head of State Abdelkader Bensalah, whose term ends on 3rd of July in accordance with the country’s constitution.
The state’s institutional system has been experiencing an unprecedented situation that has puzzled law and constitutional experts, noting that Algeria will remain without a president until the rule is handed over to a prospective elected president.
The head of state, who has been leading the country for three months now, following the resignation of the president, failed to perform the most important task mandated by the constitution, which is to pave the way for holding the elections.
Algeria’s Constitutional Council announced Sunday that two candidates, both unknown figures to the public, had finally registered for the country’s July 4th presidential election.
To be eligible, the candidates have to be backed by 600 local councilors and lawmakers or 60,000 voters in more than half of the country’s regions.
The Council has 10 days to review the files of the two candidates and declare accepting or rejecting any of them.
In case the conditions were not met, as expected by many observers, the Council will declare the impossibility of holding elections.
Yet, the constitution doesn’t allow the Council to decide whether to cancel or postpone the elections, and it doesn’t include any solution for this impasse because those who put it didn’t think the interim president would fail to organize elections.
Observers expect the Council to refer the case to the head of state, while others say Bensalah will refer it to the concerned bodies to find a solution.
Other predictions indicate that Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah has caused this problem since he is the official body that adheres to the “constitutional solution” to the crisis and rejects proposals by parties from the popular movement and other supporting opposition parties.
