Options and hurdles for Bouteflika in the formation of government of fourth mandate

President Abdellaziz Bouteflika who has now secured a fourth straight term in office after a clear win in the April 17 elections will have to ponder well in his task of forming the next government to be headed by Abdelmalek Sellal. The latter was named again by the head of state as Prime Minister a few hours after taking the oath of office last Monday at the Palace of Nations on the western coast of Algiers.

According to several political analysts including Ali Derai, President Bouteflika will have to find an adequate balance in the composition of the new governmental team to be made up mostly of those figures who had resolutely buttressed his candidacy for a fourth term during the recent electoral campaign.

 The fund – raisers who had financed a sizable part of the expenditure of the electoral campaign in favour of Bouteflika’s candidacy are eagerly awaiting to obtain as a token of gratitude from President Bouteflika some portfolios in the next government, analysts surmised.

 The second equation, they added, pertains to the clash of interests between the FLN and RND parties which both put their weight behind Bouteflika’s candidacy throughout the election campaign.

The head of state is expected to strike the right balance in the distribution of the ministerial portfolios with the FLN party having a slight edge in the future nominations for ministerial posts, political analysts added.

 For their part, TAJ party leader Amar Ghoul and MPA party leader Amara Benyounes in addition to some moderate figures from the wide political spectrum are also expected to be included in the next governmental team by President Bouteflika whose main objective is to assuage the opposition and to relaunch much-awaited political reforms at all levels of governance.

Bouteflika’s other important goal is to secure a bona fide legitimacy for his election victory both at home and abroad through his projected set of political reforms with seemingly an all-inclusive scope.