Benbitour: “It’s up to the Army to safeguard constitutional institutions from any drift”

Former Algerian Prime Minister and declared candidate for the 2014 Presidential polls, Ahmed Benbitour, has alerted the public opinion to what he termed the threat to national cohesion and stability posed by the recent baffling decisions regarding the government and the military institution, saying that the Algerians should remain vigilant and get mobilized with the aim of altering the imposed established order in the next few months.

In a written statement of which Echorouk received a copy, Mr Benbitour argued that the people had witnessed dismally a virtual collapse of the Algerian state institutions over the past decade.

“Such an untoward situation could have nefarious repercussions on the country’s cohesion, unity and stability in the coming years if the current regime is not “cleansed” altogether on the occasion of the upcoming Presidential electoral contest slated in principle for April 2014”, Benbitour hammered.

He pointed out to this effect that contrary to previous flawed polls, the 2014 Presidential elections should be free, fair and transparent in order to live up to the people’s legitimate aspirations for a salutary change of governance and the fostering of new era of peace, justice and well-being in Algeria in line with genuine democratic values and principles.

Mr Ahmed Benbitour further brought out the paramount role devolved upon the National Popular Army’s senior hierarchy saying that the latter should be a bulwark against hegemonic trends and should safeguard the constitutional institutions from any drift or malpractice.