Benyounes: Bouteflika did not like folkloric campaign for fourth term

Remarks made by the Algerian Popular Front’s leader Amara Benyounes about a possible constitutional amendment after the presidential elections are based on subjective data in view of his relationship with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Benyounes is the first political party’s leader who announces the constitutional amendment after the elections and not before.

Earlier, he told France 24 in an interview that the amendment will not before the presidential elections based upon a “personal analysis.”

This comes as Secretary General of Algeria’s FLN party Amar Saadani called for speeding up the amendment to create the position of Vice-President and allow the president to run for a fourth term.

According to sources, Benyounes obtained correct data about the political agenda for the next few months.

Benyounes also said he will support Bouteflika if he runs for office.

Senior member in the Algerian Popular Front Lamine Osmani criticized what he called “folkloric ways to support the president” as the FLN seized the opportunity of its central committee’s meeting and others to announce its support to a fourth term.

“Benyounes believes that his missions as industry minister are more appropriate and beneficial to Algeria instead of doing old-fashioned folkloric campaigns. He receives foreign delegations and signs agreements to boost the industry sector. According to the minister, those missions are most important than popular festivals,” he added.

According to Osmani, Benyounes is waiting for Bouteflika to announce his intention to run for office because “he is the only one who makes the decision.”

“The FLN could not know the president’s real position about the next elections. That shows that he has no party and he run for office in previous elections as an independent candidate.”