Bouteflika removes 6 ministers from posts

Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Thursday removed six ministers from their posts after a recent parliamentary election thrust his ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) back in power. The ministers were elected as MPs on the May 10 elections, according to a source in the Algerian presidency. The same source said that Bouteflika decided to assign other ministers to take over the concerned ministries. The president's reshuffle coincides with the announcement of an anticipated new parliament on Saturday. The decision came on the back of a new law that prevents officials from holding both executive and legislative responsibilities. The ministers are: urban development and environment head Cherif Rahmani, transport minister Amar Tou, minister of public works Amar Ghoul, minister of higher education and scientific research Rachid Hrobeh, minister of labour, employment and social security Tayeb Louh, and the minister of communications and information technology Musa ibn Hammadi. Bouteflika has reportedly commissioned other ministers to take over the concerned ministries. The ministry of urban development and environment was assigned to interior minister Daho Ould Kabila while transport was assigned to the minister of water resources Abdelmalek Selal. The minister of housing and urban development, Noor el-Din Musa, took over the ministry of public works. The ministry of higher education and scientific research was assigned to the minister for youth and sports, Hashemi Djiar, health minister Deramel Ould Abbas was put in charge of the ministry of labour, employment and social security. Energy minister Youcef Yousfi will head the ministry of communications and information technology. On the other hand, the constitutional council approved 13 appeals, only one of them without impact on the outcome of the ballot for the legislative elections. The appeals were submitted in protest of the election results. Five political parties have won new seats in the Algerian parliament after the constitutional council declared Thursday evening the verdicsts on the appeals. The Workers Party gained seven new seats, the Front of Socialist Forces enhance its standing with six new seats, the Islamist Green Algeria alliance won three seats and the Algerian popular movement as well as the Algerian National Front for Justice and Development, each won one seat.