Ksentini: “Ali Benhadj retrieved his political rights by the end of 2013”

The chairman of the national advisory commission for the promotion and protection of human rights in Algeria, Farouk Ksentini, has criticized the authorities’ refusal to allow the deputy leader of the disbanded Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), Ali Benhadj, have access to the premises of the ministry of the Interior and local Assemblies where he sought to collect the application forms required for the registration for the forthcoming presidential elections set for April 17th 2014.

In a statement made on Monday to Echorouk, Farouk Ksentini affirmed that such a  refusal was not in keeping with the law as Ali Benhadj regained his political and civic rights by the end of the year 2013 and should now be dealt with as any other ordinary Algerian citizen.

Farouk Ksentini also indicated that the authorities’ barring move was the outcome of a circumscribed and restrictive reading and interpretation notably of article 26 of the charter for peace and national reconciliation which bars those elements involved in the tragic events which beset Algeria in the 1990’s, from running in any electoral race or vying for public office.

Farouk Ksentini added that such an interpretation shouldn’t be applied now on Ali Benhadj as he recovered his political and civic rights by the end of 2013 in consistence with the country’s laws and regulations and is therefore entitled to vie for next April’s presidential polls as any other eligible candidate after receiving the prior green light from the constitutional council in charge of validating or turning down the various candidacy files.