Fourth term breaks Parliament’s allegiance

Members of Parliament Wednesday held former education minister Abu Bakr Benbouzid responsible for crimes propagation, saying thefts and kidnappings are perpetrated by pupils.

Other members said they are against a fourth presidential term alleging that crimes and corruption propagation justifies why it is impossible to support Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for office.

Representative of Algeria’s Justice and Development Front Lakhdar Benkhelaf said the party is against the reduction of punishment for kidnappings and child- raping. “They are horrible crimes and criminals must be punished in accordance to the Islamic law. Punishment reduction is behind crimes propagation.”

Representative Mustapha Bouchachi suggested to take social and economic measures to eradicate criminality instead of stepping up punishment.

“Imposing death penalty on some crimes is not in conformity with international conventions ratified by Algeria. They stipulate its suspension,” he said.

Algerian justice minister Taib Louh said a draft law includes provisions to step up sanctions against terrorists acts including terror funding, embezzlement and kidnappings.

Those new provisions came following attacks on Tiguentourine gas complex in In Amenas (south of Algiers).

The new draft law also steps up persons who use children for begging money. “For human reasons and to protect mothers who have to beg money with their children, they are exempted from sanctions if their difficult social situation is permanent.”