Will new constitution help Algeria?
The Algerian opposition has criticized the draft constitution as being nonconsensual and as not addressing the country’s real crisis.
ALGIERS, Algeria — The disclosure of Algeria’s draft constitution and its content in early January was a way to improve the political and economic situation of the country.
“I don’t believe these constitutional changes will affect the citizens’ daily life. They are above all concerned that hard-won social gains are not jeopardized,” Hocine Bellaloufi, a political analyst, told Al-Monitor. They are also concerned about “the increase in prices that is beginning to be felt in early 2016,” Bellaloufi added.
Ahmed Ouyahia, Algeria’s former prime minister and now the president’s private secretary, held a press conference on Jan. 5, in which he discussed the draft constitution’s final content with journalists for the first time.
The draft’s key focus is about the consolidation of national unity and democracy, strengthening the rule of law, and improving the organization and functioning of certain institutions (military, finances, etc.).
