Algeria: Clashes at ruling party meeting

Algerian ministers, who are members of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front Party, could not stay away from the violent quarrel that took place before the start of the meeting of the party’s Central Committee yesterday in Aleruasi Hotel in Algiers.

Problems started when supporters of the current Secretary-General Amar Saadani tried to prevent opponents from entering the hall to take part in the meeting.

The hotel’s security personnel failed to control the situation due to the severity of confrontations and beatings between the supporters of former Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem and Saadani. Saadani accused Belkhadem of trying to “falsify the facts”, impose lawlessness, and harm the party.

“I regret what is happening now for the party. The petty behaviour we see now harms its reputation. We welcome self-criticism and all positive initiatives, but how can such illegal and immoral action be classified?” Saadani said.

Belkhadem denied allegations that he intends to return to party leadership. He said: “As the party’s chairman President Bouteflika knows what is happening, but he does not want to intervene in regulatory issues.”

This came before he held a meeting to declare his candidacy for the post of secretary general of the party.

The party holds a majority in the parliament with 198 deputies of a total of 462. It also controls local councils.

The party has witnessed sharp division for the past decade against the backdrop of the 2004 presidential election when the party’s former secretary-general and then-prime minister decided to run for the presidency against Bouteflika.