Interior Ministry summons Algiers Governor over inappropriate comments
The Ministry of the Interior and Local Assemblies has summoned the Wali or Governor of the province of Algiers, Abdelkader Zoukh, over uncalled-for statements he made during a recent visit of inspection to the municipality of Oued Koreich in upper Algiers.
Reliable sources told Echorouk that Abdelkader Zoukh reportedly told the inhabitants of the municipality of Oued Koreich that those seeking rehousing in brand-new state-subsidized accommodation should duly vote on April 17th in the upcoming presidential elections in order to be registered on the recipients’ lists.
The Algiers Governor is also reported to have firmly underscored to the needy residents of this municipality that those who would shirk their electoral duty on April 17th would be automatically scrapped from the new housing program.
As a direct consequence, Mr Abdelkader Zoukh was summoned Thursday to the Interior ministerial department for explanations about his inappropriate remarks to the Oued Koreich residents.
An Interior ministry source said that there should be no link whatsoever between the rehousing program and the presidential elections, adding that the citizens must not be coerced into going to the polls because this would be tantamount to an infringement on personal freedom and human rights.
The Wali or Governor of Algiers argued that his remarks were wrongly construed by some people and by certain media outlets, stressing that his only objective was to sensitize the residents of the municipality to the crucial importance of the April 17th presidential elections.