Algeria army chief: Elections to be held as scheduled

Algerian army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaid Salah, has reiterated his commitment to holding presidential elections on 4 July, amid fierce opposition.

“Holding a presidential election could help [Algeria] avoid falling into the trap of a constitutional void, with its accompanying dangers and unwelcome consequences,” Qaid Salah told a press conference yesterday.

Gaid Salah has also stressed on the need to speed up the formation of the Independent Commission to organise the elections.

As many as 46 Algerian organisations and associations announced on Sunday their “absolute rejection” of holding the elections on 4 July, as announced by the interim President Abdelkader Bensalah and called on the army leadership to open dialogue with the political and societal classes in order to find an acceptable solution to the crisis.

The Algerian organisations have stressed on the need that all symbols of the current regime step down in response to popular demands.

READ: Algeria presidential elections heading towards dead end