Algerian ruling party’s leaders call for exceptional summit to save popularity

Algerian parliamentary elections held on May 4 left increasing repercussions on the country’s political arena amid a state of division inside the ruling National Liberation Front led by President Abdel Aziz Boutaflika which suffered from a notable decline in its popularity among the Algerian voters. A number of political leaders of the party called the Algerian president for taking serious steps to save the party, stressing the need for excluding the party’s Director General Jamal Ould Abbas from his position as the major responsible for the party’s losses.
Over 60 members of the party’s Central Committee signed a petition calling for excluding Abbas due to the scandal of the formation of electoral lists. They blamed the increasing violations committed by the Algerian politician during the formation of the lists for the notable decline in the number of the parliamentary seats that the ruling party gained. They stressed that the lists provided competitors with an opportunity to smear the image of the party before the Algerian people.
They said, in the petition, “Due to the loss, we call the party’s Director General Jamal Ould Abbas to bear the responsibility of the current decline in the party’s popularity and to submit his resignation from his position immediately to avoid any further negative repercussions could negatively affect the ruling party or the stability of the whole country.”
Leading member of National Liberation Front Abdel Rahman Belayat called the Algerian president for holding an exceptional summit as soon as possible to discuss the necessary measures aiming to save the party’s reputation during the coming period and to restore its popularity.
On the other hand, Judicial investigations have been launched into suspected voter fraud that may have occurred during Algeria’s recent legislative elections, Justice Minister Tayeb Louh announced Thursday. “Investigations were launched based on complaints lodged by certain political parties,” Louh said without specifying the parties in question.
He stressed, however, that the violations, if proven, would not have been enough to affect the poll’s ultimate outcome. Last week, Abdelwahab Derbal, head of Algeria's official electoral commission, said the commission had received 328 reports of violations, 16 of which were referred to the country’s attorney-general.
Algeria’s May 4 parliamentary polls saw President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) clinch 164 out of 462 seats in the assembly, while the National Democratic Rally -- a coalition partner of the FLN -- came in second with 97 seats. The Movement of Society for Peace, Algeria’s largest Islamic party, came in third with 33 seats.