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Algeria elects new assembly president, as outgoing president raises alarm

Algeria

A power struggle in Algeria’s National Assembly as outgoing president Said Bouhadja said he is still legally in office.

On Wednesday, assembly members elected Mouad Bouchareb, 47 as their new president by 320 votes with one absentee. Up until now, Bouchareb was leader of the parliamentary group of the National Liberation Front party. The party of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika holds 161 of the 462 seats in the lower house.

Said Bouhadja, 80 was overthrown for alleged mismanagement and his ‘inability’ to lead. But Bouhadja said per the constitution he ‘remains the legal and legitimate president of the assembly’. He denounced a breach of rule of law, separation of powers and respect for institutions.

“We cannot be present and support a coup d‘état. Given the way events have unfolded, we consider it a coup d‘état against constitutional legitimacy and the legitimacy of laws. It is a masquerade and a dangerous deviation that is happening in the country”, said Lakhdar Benkhellaf, Deputy of the Justice and Development Front

Seddik Chihab is Deputy spokesperson of the Rally for Culture and Democracy and support of the president-elect.

“We are entirely satisfied first of all with the choice, which is a wise choice, a young person with the necessary experience, youth and dynamism to be able to give or breathe new life into parliamentary activity”, Chihab said.

In Algeria, a constitutional provision stipulates that the president of the National assembly is elected for the duration of the legislature.

AFP

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