Saidani: constitutional amendment does not need a long time

Secretary General of the National Liberation Front (FLN) Amar Saidani said it is not too late to amend the Constitution before the presidential elections as this would need one day only to pass the draft bill.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika can amend the Constitution as part of political reforms he talked about in his speech to the nation on April 15^th in 2011, said Saidani.

He supports the president to run for a fourth term. “The FLN is still attached to the constitutional amendment before the presidential elections,” he told Echorouk.

Amer Rekhila, a constitutional law professor said if the president wants to amend the Constitution, he can do it without passing by the cabinet meeting.

He believes that since President Bouteflika did not announce the constitutional amendment during Monday’s cabinet meeting, it will not be conducted before the elections.

“Bouteflika made two things during the cabinet meeting. He appeared to the local and external public opinion. He showed to opposition parties that he met their request to postpone the constitutional amendment after the presidential elections,” he added.

He also said the president can run for a fourth term without amending the Constitution.