Ali Benflis: “I will re-open Algeria’s border with Morocco“

The independent candidate for Algeria’s presidential election of April 17, Ali Benflis has vowed Wednesday in the far eastern city of Annaba to reopen, if elected as the country’s president, the country’s border with neighbouring Morocco.

Ali Benflis said during a popular rally there that he would also strive to re-launch on solid bases the long-neglected Grand Arab Maghreb Union in order to usher in a real inter-Maghrebian integration and cohesion.

He also promised to develop border regions, by encouraging investment and the creation of job opportunities.

“I promise, if elected, to address the scourge of smuggling by the development of border regions,” said Benflis on his of campaign trail, adding “this scourge can be eradicated through dialogue with the youth, the mobilization of investments, the creation of jobs and facilitating access to housing.”

The scourge of smuggling is not peculiar to Algeria, said Benflis, who criticized the current measures to fight it, dubbing them “superficial and inefficient.”

Addressing the youth, the presidential candidate underlined that Algeria’s development “requires serious handling of youth’s concerns,” adding that his national revival project gives “great importance” to young people. “Whoever excludes youth, excludes Algeria,” he said.

Benflis reiterated commitment to raising the pensions of the retirees of the People’s National Army (ANP) and the compensations for the victim of terrorism among ANP retirees, in order to improve their situation.

The presidential candidate also promised to improve the situation of people with special needs.

Ali Benflis also pledged to improve the situation of people with specific needs through a series of measures and commitments under his electoral program, including an increase of the pension for disabled people.

People with specific needs “do not fully enjoy their rights, thus I commit myself before Algerian people to working, once elected president of the Republic, for improving their situation through a series of measures and commitments contained in my national renewal program,” Benflis, stressed.

Among these measures, the increase of the pension for disabled people, the creation of schools and developed centers of vocational training, the increase of social specialists and assistants in charge of this category, in addition to the review of buildings and public infrastructures design “able to ease the integration” of disabled people.

Also, Benflis promised to “fully implementing”, if elected, the law on Mujahedeen (War-veterans) and Chouhadas (Martyrs) of the glorious November revolution, adding that his electoral program “gives propriety to youth who must hold senior positions”.