Fourth Presidential Term Or “Consensus Joker” To Avert Logjam?

The adjournment by the National Democratic Rally (RND) of the announcement of its chosen candidate for the upcoming Presidential polls until the holding in late January of the special session of its national council only adds to the murkiness and confusion currently gripping the Algerian national political arena.

The executive body of the RND party which met last summer had scheduled the fourth party congress for last December 2013 in order to pick out the candidate to be backed by this party, with on focus two options: either to support incumbent Bouteflika for a fourth straight presidential mandate or to choose another candidate coming from the party’s senior hierarchy.

It should be recalled that the RND party didn’t drag its feet in announcing its full backing for President Bouteflika in the last three electoral contests of 1999, 2004 and 2009 but this time things have taken a new turn.

The RND party has as a result put off the announcement of its chosen candidate until late January in the hope of seeing the current fuzzy political landscape become clearer notably by ascertaining that incumbent Bouteflika is overtly keen to vie for a fourth consecutive presidential term despite his paltry health condition which is still the source of multifarious rumours.

These indications have given rise to a number of questions about the possible scenarios ahead of next April’s presidential polls in an atmosphere of confusion and uncertainty about doubtful Bouteflika’s candidacy.