Ould Kablia: parties would be held responsible for elections boycott

Algerian interior minister Dahou Ould Kablia criticized National Commission of Local Elections Surveillance’s demand for financial compensation to its members.

“The Commission’s officials and members know that the law on elections says their mission is free of charge. Because of that, it is absolutely impossible to pay financial compensation for them,” the minister told a news conference following the establishment of the commission.

He added that the law on elections clearly says the mission of this commission is free of charge contrarily to the Commission of Elections Judicial Supervision. “They [the commission’s members] do not get a specified wage but they earn their salary from the justice ministry in charge of running this commission as they are judges.”

Ould Kablia also said that the members of the National Commission of Local Elections Surveillance are volunteers as part of their party work. “If we talk about compensation, it is up to parties to be in charge of that.”

He denied that his ministry had rejected demands about management expenses, saying “big conflicts” are behind problems faced by the commission.

He described the forthcoming local elections as “an important election day” as municipal and provincial assemblies are directly linked to people’s daily life.

According to the interior minister, the expected turnover is between 40 and 45 percent. “Any possible low turnover would be a punishment for the administration and not power. Candidates are chosen by parties and not authorities,” he said.

Speaking about reshuffle of prefects due to be conducted next month, Ould Kablia said management missions including planned development programs implementation and legislative and local elections supervision will be taken in consideration.

He also said a commission is expected to be set up in the first half of 2013 to revise the Constitution. “Logically speaking, the constitutional revision is expected to start in the first trimester and to last until the first semester of 2013. Yet, things are still unclear about that. These are my conclusions I came up with following the president’s statements.”