Saadani: majority party has the right to head government

Secretary General of Algeria’s National Liberation Front (FLN) Amar Saadani criticized those who raised doubts about the last presidential elections transparency, saying congratulations letters from other presidents to their Algerian counterpart show their credibility.

“In some countries in the world such as France, turnout did not exceed 36 percent. Yet, the elections were not so criticized like in Algeria,” Saadani Sunday said in a press conference in Algiers.

“Do those have evidences about actual fraud? Those who do not have observers in all the voting centers are not allowed to talk about fraud,” he added.  

“Algerians voted for President Bouteflika and everyone knows that including foreign presidents who congratulated him. Of them, François Hollande. Those who talk about fraud want to justify their defeat. Bouteflika won thanks to people’s votes.”

The FLN’s leader denied that he would have asked for being the head of government.

“The current Constitution gives the president the prerogative to choose his cabinet staff. I have never asked for the position of head of government. There is no conflict between me and Prime Minister Sellal,” he said.

Saadani expects that President Bouteflika would change the current technocrats’ cabinet by a cabinet based on parties. “After every presidential elections, the president assigns a personality to form the cabinet. Those who call for a transition phase asked for a technocrats’ cabinet. I think that President Bouteflika will form a cabinet based on parties.”