Algeria – On the fifth day of the presidential campaign for the upcoming September 7 election, candidates are directing their speeches toward solutions for building a strong national economy and achieving real local development through administrative reforms.
Youssef Aouchiche, the candidate for the Front of Socialist Forces (FFS), emphasized in Bouira that Algeria possesses all the human and natural resources needed to build a strong and diversified economy beyond hydrocarbons. During a rally in Lakhdaria, Aouchiche highlighted his program’s priority to uplift the middle and vulnerable classes, which have been burdened by rising prices. He committed to immediate actions to preserve citizens’ purchasing power and dignity if elected president. Among his proposals are raising the minimum guaranteed national wage to 40,000 DZD and creating special allowances for the unemployed and stay-at-home women.
Meanwhile, independent candidate Abdelmadjid Tebboune, represented by the Secretary-General of the National Liberation Front (FLN), Abdelkrim Ben Mbarek, in Tizi Ouzou, focused on enhancing developmental balance across regions and eliminating disparities between municipalities. Ben Mbarek noted that this balance would be achieved by continuing the administrative division process started in Tebboune’s previous term and through initiatives like the Shadow Areas program, which has already shown results on the ground.
In Annaba, the Secretary-General of the National Democratic Rally (RND), Mustapha Yahia, endorsed Tebboune’s economic plan, which aims to raise the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to around $400 billion within the next two years and reduce dependency on hydrocarbons by diversifying investments and income sources.
Similarly, the leader of the National Construction Movement, Abdelkader Bengrina, urged voters in Khenchela to support Tebboune to continue regional development and complete projects aimed at upgrading various regions across the country.
In Sétif, the leader of the New Dawn Party, Tahar Benbaibesh, expressed his party’s support for Tebboune’s program, citing shared goals, particularly in fighting corruption, dismantling the remnants of the old regime, recovering stolen funds, and prioritizing social issues like unemployment benefits and wage increases.
Additionally, Ibrahim Mourad, the campaign manager for Tebboune, chaired a coordination meeting with several political parties supporting Tebboune to synchronize campaign efforts and activities.
Meanwhile, Hassani Cherif Abdelali, the candidate for the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP), announced in Djelfa his intention to revise the administrative division and abolish the “district,” which he considers a bureaucratic obstacle to development. He advocated for populating vast uninhabited areas and achieving development there, empowering elected officials to propose initiatives and implement projects that benefit local communities. He also stressed the need for a Ministry of Planning and Foresight to draft development plans and ensure fair distribution of resources.
Cherif’s economic and developmental vision for Djelfa includes major projects in various sectors, such as agriculture, industry, energy, transport, health, and services. He pledged to remove barriers to project execution, eliminate bureaucracy, and create favorable conditions for integrating the unemployed into the workforce while revising allowances to achieve social justice. He concluded his rally by asking the local population to give him the chance to implement his political project based on five pillars and 62 commitments.
