Mokri: “MSP didn’t extend blank cheque to Benflis and FFS backed out of consultations”

The MSP leader, Abderrazak Mokri, has affirmed that his party has concluded no political deal with Presidential candidate Ali Benflis in his latter’s quest for the party’s support for his candidacy during the upcoming Presidential electoral contest slated for April 17th 2014.

Abderrazak Mokri  told a press conference in Algiers at the end of the MSP party’s Shoura council meeting that the negotiations initiated with Ali Benflis had fizzled out as the two sides failed to agree on the necessity of filing a consensual candidate in charge of representing the opposition parties in next April’s Presidential polls.

The MSP leader also indicated that despite several requests for dialogue and concertation, the FFS party leadership had flatly refused to get involved in negotiations with other opposition parties regarding the mapping out of a common strategy ahead of the forthcoming Presidential polls.

Last Saturday, the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), announced a boycott of the presidential election due to be held April 17th.

Party chief Abderrazak Mokri made the announcement to journalists following two days of debate within the MSP’s decision-making “Shoura” or consultative council.

He said the party was boycotting the election because of “the lack of real opportunity for political reform, the monopoly of those currently in power over the election and the fact that political demands for transparency are ignored.”

Mokri said the authorities are seeking to “trump the will of the people to freely choose who governs”, as he put it.

The party’s decision represents a break from its history of always participating in elections.

Incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, has ruled for 14 years, and has still not officially declared that he will seek a fourth mandate.

Despite his frail health, the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) along with other parties close to the establishment named Abdellaziz Bouteflika as their chosen candidate for next April’s presidential electoral race.