Algeria: 2013 Finance Complementary Law is “under house arrest”

The two houses of Parliament, including the national popular Assembly and the council of the nation, will open as from tomorrow Monday their respective 2013 autumn sessions in consistence with article 118 of the constitution and article 5 of the relevant organic law in exceptional conditions due to the protracted illness of President Abdellaziz Bouteflika.

President Bouteflika’s prolonged illness has steeped the country into a virtual standstill on the political, economic and legislative plans, according to various analysts.

A case in point is the non-holding of the regular council of ministers’ meeting for 9 months now on account of the absence of President Abdellaziz Bouteflika.

As a result, this logjam has blocked the examining and the adoption by the council of ministers of 14 draft laws contained in the 2013 finance complementary law (FCL) which is yet to be signed by the head of state to become effective.

However, the head of state is entitled, under special circumstances, to issue ordinances to ensure the adoption of certain pending of draft laws before the two houses of Parliament.

But, the sticking point is that these outstanding bills can’t be conveyed to Parliament before their prior adoption by the council of ministers in conformity with the relevant provisions of the constitution.

 This logjam due to the protracted absence of the President of the Republic from the national political scene has been severely castigated by a host of international banking institutions including the World Bank.

The latter argued that the wanton and exaggerated recourse to injunctions to pass draft laws in Parliament was contrary to democratic rules and principles