Fateh Boutbik: “We refuse showcase of financial spin-offs to buy commission’s backing”

The chairman of the national commission in charge of monitoring the April 17 presidential polls in Algeria, Fateh Boutbik, has ruled out the idea of bringing into focus the financial benefits to be allotted by the authorities to the commission members for neutrality and probity reasons.

In a statement to Echorouk, Mr Boutbik said the much-taunted benefits issue reported by certain local media outlets shouldn’t steer the commission members away from their bounden mission and duty of ensuring the fairness and transparency of the upcoming voting operations.

He also indicated that that the money issue shouldn’t interfere in the commission’s supervisory work and impede on its impartial and neutral posture towards the six candidates vying for the forthcoming presidential election.

Mr Fateh Boutbik also insisted on the strict independence of the national election monitoring commission which will undertake its regulatory and supervisory action in total consistence with the electoral law beyond any other consideration, as he put it.