Abdelkader Bensalah «can't replace Bouteflika» because of his «Moroccan nationality»

As President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s fourth term is expected to end on April the 28th, speculations have been widespread in Algeria about who is replacing the 82-year-old leader. This question is raised as Algerians are still hitting the streets to protest against Bouteflika’s fifth term and health condition.

Meanwhile, political parties in the neighboring country have urged the government to opt for Article 102 from the Algerian new Constitution. The latter allows the «removal of the president from office on the grounds of medical» issues or other problems such as the inability of «exercising his functions».

The article grants the presidency of Algeria, for 135 days, to the Speaker of the Council of the Nation, the upper house in the Algerian parliament. Some believe that this solution might answer the demands of protesters in the country, while others see it as unconstitutional.

This idea was conveyed by Lakhdar Benkhellaf, the leader of the Justice and Development Front party, who told Algeria’s Echorouk TV that Abdelkader Bensaleh, the current Speaker of the upper house, «cannot replace Bouteflika because of his Moroccan citizenship».

The Speaker of Algeria's upper house and his Moroccan citizenship

«The sick president can apply Article 102 and Article 107 from the Constitution, because the people are the source of power, if he resigns or decides to leave office before the end of his fourth term», said Algerian MP Benkhellaf.

«The Speaker of the Council of the Nation can assure continuity in the running of institutions, but he has a problem with his nationality», he argued. Benkhellaf explained that «to replace the Algerian President, the official must have an Algerian nationality». «This is not the case for Abdelkader Bensalah, who had a different citizenship up until 1964, the year during which he was naturalized by Algeria», the MP pointed out.

«Abdelkader Bensalah was considered a Moroccan national, which is a problem. I said it in 2014, when the President’s illness was first announced», Benkhellaf said.

According to the Algerian MP, the solution to this problem is to chose another Speaker for the Algerian upper house.

For the record, the current Algerian President announced, earlier in March, that he will not be bidding for a fifth term. In a «letter to the nation», the 82-year-old leader said that he «understands the motivations of the many people who chose this method of expression», referring to the protests that have been taking place in Algeria.

The President announced that the 2019 presidential election will be postponed, assuring that he has withdrawn his bid for a fifth term.