Algeria: FLN Party SG Abdellaziz Belkhadem On Ejector Seat

220 members of the Central Committee of the FLN party have decided to withdraw confidence in Mr Abdellaziz Belkhadem, the current Secretary General of the party accusing him of manifold woes including mismanagement, cronyism and heavy-handed rule.

• Observers suggest that that this show-down means that Belkhadem’s days at the helm of the FLN party are now counted and that a new Secretary General is likely to be designated shortly to lead the party to the upcoming legislative elections slated for May 10th.

• They also said that Abdellaziz Belkhadem had been taken aback by such untoward contingency as he did not take seriously enough the sweeping scope of the simmering “revolt” against his controversial rule within the various FLN structures.

• This revolt which seems to have yielded results is being spearheaded by numerous senior FLN party members including several former ministers and well-known personalities in addition to large segments of the party’s rank and file.

• Reliable sources told Echorouk that that a broad-based meeting would be held next Friday or Saturday in Algiers to formally announce the “destitution” of Belkhadem and to elect a new Secretary General of the party.

• The same sources added that four candidates for the post would be in the running including Abdelkrim Abada, Abdelkader Hadjar, Amar Tou and Amar Saidani.