Bouteflika names technocratic government including 25 ministers with no party affiliation

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Monday named the first cabinet of his fourth term in office, retaining most key senior ministers and headed again by Abdelmalek Sellal, the presidency announced.

Bouteflika, who was re-elected by a landslide in last April 17 presidential contest despite grave concerns about his health, had already reappointed Sellal as his prime minister, after the latter stepped down in February to run Bouteflika’s election campaign.

“The president, after consulting the prime minister… issued a decree naming members of his government,” the presidency said in a statement.

The 34-member cabinet dominated by technocrats also includes seven women.

The key portfolios being retained are Ramtane Lamamra (foreign affairs), Yayeb Belaiz (interior and local assemblies), Tayeb Louh (justice), Youcef Yousfi (energy and mines) and General Ahmed Gaid-Salah as deputy defense minister.

Karim Djoudi, who has headed the finance ministry since 2007, is stepping down for health reasons, according to informed sources, and will be replaced by Mohamed Djellab.

Another figure leaving the cabinet is culture minister Khalida Toumi, who first joined the government under Bouteflika in 2002.

She will be succeeded by Nadia Labidi, a professor at Algiers university, with another woman and university teacher, Nouria Benghebrit, heading the education ministry.

Bouteflika vowed in his campaign, conducted on his behalf by a team of allies, to pursue constitutional reform during his fourth term in office, strengthening the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.

He also pledged to promote the rights of the opposition, which plays a very minor role in Algerian politics.

But the opposition parties spurned an offer by Sellal to take part in a coalition government.