Government Requested To Revive Draft Law Criminalizing Colonialism

Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s statement on the fight against the suspicious relationship between money and politics drew the keen attention of MPs, who described him as “strong and courageous” after the phenomenon of money-laundering turned into a scourge that threatens the harmony of Algerian society.

Some opposition MPs drew the attention to what they called as the “Blank Paper Party”, which imposed itself as the largest political group voting in the May 4th elections, exceeding 2 million of the 8.5 million votes recorded on that date.

Yesterday, the first session of the plenary discussions, immediately after the presentation of Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s plan of action, which buttresses its action on the social scope, while not falling into the trap of external borrowing, as the two main axes, in addition to solutions that the Government considers appropriate to face up to the current financial crisis .

“You have the right to practice politics, business or both, but not at the same time,” MPs argued, referring to the Prime Minister’s declaration in his speech on money and politics when he said his Government would do its best to fight the suspicious relationship between money and politics.

In this regard, the Workers Party MP Ramdane Taâzibt described Tebboune’s relevant speech as “strong” and “courageous”, pointing out that this burning issue represents a major threat to the Algerian state.

One of the positive aspects recorded by the Workers Party is the Government’s firm commitment to preserving the social character of the state and not resorting to external borrowing. However, this did not prevent the MP from flatly refuting the warning about the feared bankruptcy of the Public Treasury. 

Suleimane Chanin, MP from the Union for Justice  and development, dwelt on the same point, by calling on the Government to “understand the message of millions of the May 4th election boycotters who represent, he said, the largest party, which he called the “paperless party”.

He stressed that the “Government should quickly understand these boycotters’ messages, and to address what can be treated before it is too late”. 

He also stated the fight against corruption requires the setting up of a national contract to return the owners of money to square one and end the overlap, stressing the impunity of offenders that prevailed in the previous period should be terminated, as he put it.

Other MPs further urged during the free-wheeling debate at the National People’s Assembly the Tebboune Government to redraft the law criminalizing colonialism and to delineate the requirements to brand colonial crimes as war crimes against humanity.