Derbal: “We’ll Reveal All Details About Election Agenda… There Will Be No Amendment To Laws”

The Head of the Independent High Election monitoring Commission (HIISE), Abdelwahab Derbal, confirmed that all the laws governing the electoral process will remain in effect until after the upcoming presidential elections slated for next Spring.

In a statement to “Echorouk” on Sunday, Mr. Derbal explained that it is not within the jurisdiction of the legislature to enact laws, but in view of the lengthy procedures of the organic laws, it is no longer possible to amend the election law or the law related to its monitoring body.

The comments and criticisms that he has previously addressed to these laws need to be reformed in the future, and the Commission will continue to defend its tasks in developing and improving the electoral process, as enshrined by the constitutional law-makers within their main prerogatives.

Mr. Derbal also revealed to “Echorouk” that the election-related Authority will submit to the public opinion all its observations regarding the electoral platform, which has for long stirred up controversy between the parties and the competitors, but this will be carried out after the drafting of a thorough and comprehensive assessment report by the members of the relevant provincial Departments on the annual review of the electoral lists.

“I’ve set up a national program through the 48 provinces of the country to oversee the process of the administration’s task, as provided by law”, he said to this effect.

On the possibility of facing any administrative hurdles in the smooth implementation of the audit, Mr Abdelwahab Derbal stressed that the HIISE Authority and the services of the Interior and local Assemblies Ministry will closely cooperate to overcome all technical difficulties and legal problems through the “Joint Committees” which were established in advance for this purpose.
Mr. Derbal also pointed out that the program of regional training courses that starts today and is due to until the 18th of this month, will include the procedures pertaining to the ins and outs of the next presidential elections, after the telling experience of the legislative and local polls, so that the matter is fully understood and applied uniformly”, as he put it.

The Independent Election Monitoring Commission announced on Saturday, through a statement, the organization of training sessions in this regard in the cities of Constantine, Bejaia, Ghardaia and Tlemcen, in a second phase, for the benefit of members of the HIISE commission at the regional level.

Our interlocutor further explained that the program of these training sessions, which will take place in the form of regional meetings, will coincides with the annual review of the electoral lists and before the next election agenda.

“These training sessions will deal with three topics related to “ways and means of duly supervising the management review of the electoral lists, and all the procedures related to the smooth running of next April’s Presidential polls”, Mr Derbal added.