Soltani: “we wash hands of south protests”

Allegations that Algeria’s Green Alliance was behind protests in the south are baseless, said Aby Djerra Soltani, the MSP’s leader in response to notables who accused the Alliance of inciting residents to take to the street.

“The MSP’s deputies went to the province of Ouarguela (south of Algeria) to meet Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal about residents’ demand. The meeting came up with concrete decisions and promises. A budget was allocated to the south, new jobs were created and residents were appointed at senior positions such as prefects or police chiefs,” said Soltani.

Speaking about the word “little group” which was used by Sellal to describe residents, Soltani said the prime minister “knows the Algerian south very well as he worked there. He is still in contact with residents. His words were used as a pretext.”

He believes that their call for Sellal’s departure is “overstated.” They could submit their demands and “the Algerian State can solve the problem.”

He also said he talked with civil society representatives in Ouarguela about subcontracting companies in 2000. “I discovered that many managers of subcontracting companies have nothing to do with the job along with other wrongdoings.”

“Figures show that 11,000 new jobs were created in Ouarguela in 2012 while it needed 9,000 only. According to investigations, all the created positions are held by people who are not living in the province.”