Algeria’s National Liberation Front (FNL) Secretary General Jamal Weld Abbas faces absolute isolation as he has encountered serious quarrels with all party members.
Big or small, all party officials have conceded to Abbas failing to stand up to party ideals and directions.
Party observers say that Abbas is angered when an FNL official praises Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who is also party president, or pleads for a fifth term in the much anticipated 2019 presidential elections.
Lawmaker and businessman Baha al-Din Talebba tried launching a “coordination” body to prepare for upcoming elections.
But soon enough he found himself facing the party's disciplinary committee, which threatened “all those who discuss Bouteflika’s future in power”.
Firstly, Abbas argued that Bouteflika has not given any ultimatums concerning his political fate. Secondly, the party will get involved in the case “when the time comes,” he commented.
Abbas being the first to deal with matters concerning the "fifth term of office” is not up for debate—only on hold until he is given a presidential green light to proceed.
It is noteworthy that Abbas was appointed as FNL secretary general by a direct presidential order in 2016.
Commenting on action taken against mounting tensions, Abbas said it is only within the president’s constitution-given authority that ministers can be either appointed or dismissed.
"The appointment of ministers and their removal from power is only within the president’s constitutional power,” Abbas told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Addressing potential defectors, Abbas said they ought to keep at bay and not to engage in important issues until the party issued an opinion or position.
In contrast, Algerian prominent politician Abdul Wahab Bin Zaim told reporters that Abbas “wants to deprive parliamentarians of the most important authority given to them by the constitution, which is to monitor ministers' performance”.
He defended the lawmakers’ authority to question and criticize if necessary.
Lambasting the education minister’s performance, Bin Zaim said that Nouria Benghabrit-Remaoun has introduced serious disturbances to the national sector, which includes 8 million students and tens of thousands of teachers.
He blamed mismanagement, and said that he clearly opposes Benghabrit-Remaoun, and that he deems her unfit to head the ministry, and should be removed from the government.
Boosting inner FNL strife, Abbas blocked prominent FNL leaders who were established rivals of former FNL secretary-general and prevented them from returning to their partisan ranks, expressing fear of his leadership being challenged.
