President Bouteflika: “The new Constitution is imminent and doesn’t serve a power establishment or a regime”

The draft revision of the Constitution aims at “bolstering freedoms and democracy” and “does not serve a power establishment or a regime,” said Tuesday in Algiers the President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

“The draft revision of the Constitution that I will propose in line with the constitutional prerogatives does not serve a power apparatus or a regime as it was purported here and there. On the contrary, it aims at consolidating the freedoms and democracy for which the glorious martyrs of the November Revolution sacrificed themselves,” said President Bouteflika in a keynote statement at the end of the Council of Ministers meeting.

The head of state said: “there have been extensive consultations on the projected revision of the Constitution over the past two years and the relevant draft document has recently been deepened and has no limits with the exception of the irreversibility of the fundamental values of the people and the Republic.”

He added that “the door is still open for those who did not take part in these consultations that reflect the spirit of democracy and are being held in total respect for everyone’s differences, stressing that the projected constitutional revision also aims at strengthening the independence of the judiciary and protecting and safeguarding fundamental freedoms, while ensuring the separation of powers, strengthening the role of Parliament and promoting the standing of the country’s opposition.”

“This endeavour will further bolster the nation and spare it any from chaos and dangerous drifts”, President Bouteflika underscored.

In a separate file, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said “Algeria will overcome without major difficulties the serious world oil market disruption”.

“I am convinced that with a legitimate serenity and with the mobilization of all and sundry in the face of the current challenges, Algeria will overcome without major constraints the current disruptions on the global oil market,” he pointed out.

The Council of Ministers endorsed, during the meeting chaired by President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a draft amendment to the law of 6 February 2005 on the prevention and the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, said a communiqué of the Council of Ministers.

The bill will beef up the legal basis of the decisions of the Bank of Algeria and the National Financial Intelligence Processing Unit, for the implementation, by banks and other local financial institutions, of preventive measures against this scourge.

It will scale up the competence of courts on the offenses relating to the financing of terrorism and money laundering, including blameworthy acts committed abroad and detrimental to the interests of Algerians.

Finally, the document consolidates the freezing of procedures, by the judge, of any funds intended to finance terrorism.

At the close of the meeting, the President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika signed, Tuesday in Algiers, the 2015 Finance Bill.

The Head of State signed the document pertaining to the 2015 Finance Bill at the premises of the Presidency of the Republic, in the presence of senior officials and members of the government.

The 2015 Finance Bill provides for budgetary revenues of DZD 4,684.6 billion and public expenditure of DZD 8,858.1 billion, i.e. a budget deficit of DZD 4,73.3 billion.

Adopted on 29 October 2014 by the People’s National Assembly (Lower House of Parliament) and on 12 November by the Council of the Nation (Upper House), the 2015 Finance Bill forecasts an overall economic growth of 3.42% and a non-hydrocarbon growth of 4.25%.