Luis Martinez: « Bouteflika to extend his mandate by two years instead of new election bid »

Luis Martinez, who is a research manager at the CERI political sciences institute in France, gave an exclusive interview to French newspaper “Les Echos” in which he shed light on the ongoing political situation prevailing in Algeria in the wake of the major cabinet reshuffle undertaken by President Abdellaziz Bouteflika.

In his analysis, Mr Luis Martinez said that the President’s recent move was meant as a reminder to the public opinion that he was still at the helm despite his health problems.

He wanted to mark out again his own territory in a bid to dissuade his political opponents from trampling underfoot his own backyard and conveyed them by the same token a clear-cut message that he’s still fully in charge and that his much debated political demise is still a long way off.

Replying to a question on a possible extension by President Bouteflika of his current mandate, Luis Martinez suggested that Bouteflika is seemingly intent on extending his mandate by another two years and relinquishing a fourth election bid due to his frail health condition.

“But the extension until late 2015 of Bouteflika’s presidential mandate requires an amendment to the constitution”, Luis Martinez explained.

He added that Algeria is now in the same situation as under late President Houari Boumedienne in the 70’s with finances inflated by oil revenues but with a population not so satisfied with its social lot.

“Pt Bouteflika didn’t seek to diversify the national economy, contrary for instance to Indonesia, another oil-rich country”, the political analyst affirmed.

He also didn’t strive to reassure potential foreign investors in order to give a fresh and potent impetus to the country’s socio-economic development, Luis Martinez added.

He depicted two potential scenarios behind the recent government reshuffle. “President Bouteflika seems to develop a plan of two scenarios regarding his political future. The first is to extend his term for two more years via the forthcoming constitution amendment, while the second unlikely one is to run for a fourth term in the upcoming elections,” he said.

Algeria is governed by a presidential system, in which the constitution empowers the president to appoint the prime minister and reshuffle the cabinet, which is tasked with the implementation of the program of the president.

President Bouteflika, 76, suffered a minor stroke in April and had been hospitalized in Paris for medical tests, which triggered a free-wheeling debate in Algeria’s political arena, as some radical opponents have urged to organize early presidential elections. He came back to Algeria in July after convalescing in a Paris medical centre..