Sellal’s Political Comeback …A Tangible Fact Or Just A Teaser?

Behind the statement of the former Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal, in which he addressed journalists on Thursday, saying: “We will meet soon”, many interpretations were made on the background of such a “cryptic” statement.

Mr. Sellal made the remark while he was leaving Al-Ghazali school in Mouradia district in upper Algiers, where he had fulfilled his electoral duty on Thursday, November 23rd as part of the country’s local polls.

Mr. Sellal’s unexpected statement raised many questions in the media circles. There are those who see it as a reflection of the “humor and cynicism” that the man used to express when he was in charge of the Premiership. 

Some other media outlets saw in this statement an indication of the possible political role to be played anew by Mr. Sellal in the next phase.

Despite the departure of the former Prime Minister from the political scene, since his removal from the Premiership after the recent legislative elections,  his name did not however quit the national media scene, as sources reported during the past few days, that the name of Abdelmalek Sellal is strongly touted to  replace the current Secretary-General of the National Democratic Rally Party, Ahmed Ouyahia, in the running of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, which has been vacant for nearly three months now.

Mr. Sellal was also associated with a formal activity that was supposed to be organized last week, a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which was postponed until Wednesday. 

Among the reasons behind this delay, according to media leaks, was the death of the brother of the former Premier.

Mr Abdelmalek Sellal is considered one of the most prominent political figures during the era of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. 

He did not leave the scene as a Minister and held several portfolios. Mr. Sellal was also entrusted with running Bouteflika’s Presidential campaign in three presidential terms (2004, 2009, 2014), a privilege not granted to other officials not closely affiliated with the President.

The former Prime Minister is regarded as one of the most prominent official who managed the executive branch quietly despite the difficult economic and financial juncture experienced by the country in his era, due to the collapse of world oil prices starting from mid-August 2014.

The departure of Mr. Sellal from the leadership of the executive apparatus came in silence, unlike the  removal of his successor, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which wreaked a political storm, as the latter was ousted in less than three months after his appointment, and after being attributed fatal errors in the management.

All these facts indicate that Mr. Abdelmalek  Sellal is still close to the President, even if he’s been out of the limelight since his removal from the Government, and this could make his return to the front stage easier, according to political observers.