Mayors to get pay raise in Algeria

Algerian Parliament’s speaker Abdelaziz Ziari gave a verbal instruction to the legal affairs commission members to approve deputies’ suggestion to raise their salary to 70,000 DZ per month.

• The instruction comes as members of the National People’s Assembly were summoned to attend discussion sessions about a municipality draft bill due to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
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• According to sources, a regulatory text is prepared to determine compensation system for local elected representatives including mayors. It is expected to be disclosed following the discussion sessions. Mayors’ salary would reach 70,000 DZ while they currently earn 25,000 DZ. The measure is meant to protect local representatives and improve their social conditions.
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• Member of the legal affairs commission Zinedine Ben Medekhen said there is a new tendency in the commission. It will listen to all the deputies’ concerns during sessions. “That would concretise popular authority guaranteed by the Constitution. Local assemblies would be allowed to meet citizens’ preoccupations and mayors would have more prerogatives.”  
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• Article No 69 of the municipality draft bill is expected to raise a debate during sessions as the commission modified so that it fits the tendencies of the National Liberation Front (FLN). This party has the majority part in most of the elected assemblies.
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• The article stipulates that Parliament’s speaker is elected by the National Assembly’s members.
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• Though the interior ministry insists on the necessity of the prefect’s approbation on deliberations in municipal assemblies, many deputies want to give mayors complete prerogatives in the deliberations implementation.