Political Parties: « Bouteflika most suitable to spearhead transition period ahead of 2014 elections »

A host of opposition political parties have kicked over the traces by calling anew for the implementation of article 88 of the constitution on account of the seeming inability by ailing President Abdellaziz Bouteflika to manage state affairs, pointing to a “disguised power vaccum”.

In this connection, several Islamist parties making up the so-called “Algeria Green Alliance” have seriously questioned the President’s ability to carry through the last nine months of his mandate.

His health has been a source of lingering speculation in the country where little has been revealed about his true condition as the President appeared in a brief TV broadcast on Tuesday, pale and tense as he was seen meeting his inner circle of officials upon his arrival at Boufarik military airport coming from Paris.

Political analysts say Bouteflika’s flimsy health has greatly diluted his chances of standing for a fourth presidential term, although his die-hard supporters have still not ruled this option out.

Most opposition parties jumped on the bandwagon by calling for the implementation forthwith of article 88 declaring the President’s unable to fulfill his functions and manage the key affairs of state.

This, they argued, will clear the way for a transition period during which the necessary political reforms will be carried out including the formation of a government of national union.

Several opposition leaders suggested that Bouteflika would be the most suitable man to spearhead such a transition period which will drive the country towards new Presidential elections in 2014 in an orderly atmosphere and in line with genuine democratic rules.

However, upholders of President Bouteflika from the FLN, the RND and TAJ parties among others, argue that he is quite able to wrap up his mandate until April 2014.

Bouteflika “never ceased exercising the functions of office despite his lengthy hospitalization in France”, they clamoured.

But he still has to ink a supplementary budget law for 2013 and manage other outstanding state affairs.

And he has also to implement political reforms announced in the aftermath of the so-called “Arab Spring”, changes deemed albeit as “cosmetic” by wide layers of the opposition.

Ongoing constitutional reforms also seem to have been put in abeyance during his absence from the country.