Number of applicants for war veteran certificate jumped to 35,000 from 3,500 in 5 years, says minister

The government will offer financial aid to war veterans’ unemployed unmarried daughters and handicapped children while the war veterans’ ministry refused to ban the decision to freeze war veterans’ certificate.

Algerian war veterans’ minister Mohamed Cherif Abbas said the State was fair regarding war veterans’ relatives as they belong to « revolutionary family. » Speaking about the call of the National Organization of War Veterans for taking off the ban on war veteran certificate, Abbas said the government will not make any change. « The idea of banning the certificate was presented in the conference of the National Organization of War Veterans in 1997. Due to requests to settle suspended cases definitevly, the government passed those applications. At that time, their number was estimated at 3,500, » the minister told Echorouk. He also said two commissions were created to examine the applications and deal with appeals. It took 5 years to examine the 3,500 applications. « The commissions finished their work in November 2002. Yet, they finished by examining 35,000 applications and not only 3,500. » « The government has no intention to issue the certificate once again, » said Abbas. He is expected to talk about details related to financial aid in favor of war veterans’ daughters and handicapped children during sessions of answers to oral questions at the People’s National Assembly.