Benyounes: I will not apologize for my phrase

Secretary General of the Algerian Popular Movement Amara Benyounes Sunday said media reports criticizing his remarks are meant to give a bad image about President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who runs for a fourth term.

Benyounes said in a program on Echorouk TV that he has got used to say his famous phase “May those who do not like us be cursed” or “May those who do not like Algeria be cursed”  in the end of his speeches for years.

“I meant no offense,” he said.

He added that those who want to overstate the issue can sue him, in response to Abdallah Djaballah’s party who asked to question him in Parliament.

This comes as Benyounes closed his speech in a rally by saying “May those who do not like Bouteflika be cursed”  

Yet, he said he will not say it anymore in his speeches.

Speaking about anti-fourth term movements, Benyounes said he used to be part of opposition but his positions are still the same. He described groups which protest against Bouteflika’s candidacy as undemocratic in their goals because they are against the Constitution.

He added that those movements should accept that Bouteflika recovered as he presented a health certificate and was accepted by the Constitutional Council.

Benyounes stressed the necessity of reaching radical solutions for the crisis in the province of Ghardaia (south of Algeria) to restore calm and stability.

He believes that Algeria is still targeted by the Arab Spring.