US Ambassador In Algeria Tackles Presidential Election File With Ali Benflis

Mr Ali Benflis is not in favour of postponing the presidential election slated for next April in Algeria. The President of “Talaie El Hourriyet” or Freedoms’ Vanguard party repeated this assertion on Wednesday, January 9th, in front of US Ambassador in Algeria, His Excellency Mr. John Desrocher, whom he received at his party’s headquarters in Algiers.
“Mr. Ali Benflis considered that the next presidential polls ought to be held within the constitutional deadlines,” according to a statement from the former head of Government’s party issued at the end of the encounter with the senior US diplomat.
While reiterating his opposition to the MSP’s recent proposal to put off the upcoming presidential election, Mr Ali Benflis surmised that this election “can be an opportunity to give the sovereign people a voice by organizing their own election and thus pave the way for a peaceful consensual solution to the global crisis now besetting our country”.
While pleading for the holding of presidential polls within constitutional deadlines, Mr Ali Benflis referred to “his proposal to settle the crisis through a responsible, peaceful, consensual, gradual approach, through an inclusive dialogue”, according to the same source.
He also referred to “the current political stalemate and the most difficult socio-economic situation currently gripping our country”.
On the other hand, Mr Ali Benflis praised the National People’s Army (ANP), saying that the latter “had all the capacity to deal efficiently with any threat to the country’s borders and security.”