Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika decided to keep Abdelkader Bensalah as chairman of the Peoples National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) for the seventeenth year in a row, political sources reported.
Bensalah is known for his undisputed loyalty to Bouteflika.
The African state’s political echelons and media said the president has mulled to order the country’s Electoral Commission to convene next Friday in order to prepare for upcoming elections scheduled for April 18. The order is meant to reassure the public that elections will be held according to schedule and without any delay.
Many politicians have suggested a delay could take place.
The inauguration of the new deputies who won last month’s midterm elections was indefinitely postponed by a presidential order, as well-informed sources revealed Bouteflika’s indecision on appointing his 48 representatives at the National Assembly.
Most of Bouteflika’s MPs see their jobs renewed past the original three-year term, given that the constitution empowers the president to decide on renewing the membership of parliamentarians.
The Algerian constitution, however, says that the inauguration of new members of the Council should take place two weeks after election results. The parliamentarians elected from outside Bouteflika’s sphere of influence, mainly belong to the Democratic National Rally, led by Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.
Members of the National assembly do not have the legislative power, which is mainly reserved for the upper house of parliament.
