Algerian P.M. sacked

Press, 11 September 1989, Page 10

Algerian P.M. sacked

NZPA-Reuter Algiers The Algerian President, Chadli Benjedid, has sacked the Prime Minister, Kasdi Merbah, and replaced him with a reformer to speed up a transition to multi-party democracy in Algeria. Mr Chadli named Mouloud Hamrouche as Prime Minister at the week-end and urged him to “lead to their conclusion, in a resolute fashion, the economic, political and social reforms.”

The appointment of Mr Hamrouche, from Mr Chadli’s own entourage,

dealt a blow to old guard elements of the ruling National Liberation Front which had resisted his ambitious political and economic reforms, political sources said.

Mr Merbah, appointed a month after youth riots shook the country in October, last year, resisted his dismissal, saying it was unconstitutional and required parliamentary approval.

He declined to submit his formal resignation, but a source close to the presidency said there was no real legal question over the issue.

Article 74 of the Constitution clearly lists as one of the President’s powers that of naming a Prime Minister and dismissing him.

Mr Merbah oversaw the drafting of landmark laws on political parties, press freedom and multi-party elections.

They are designed to end the liberation front’s 27-year-old monopoly on political life and create a model Third World democracy. But the sources said Mr Chadli felt that parts of the draft laws were not compatible with the coun-

try’s new Constitution and they had not been adopted fast enough by the National Assembly.

Mr Merbah said he had not been given either the time or the support to do his job, and defended his Government’s economic record. “I took in hand a catastrophic situation, controlled it and improved it,” he said.

Public discontent over high inflation, unemployment and shortages of housing and consumer goods erupted several times this year in demonstrations.