These are the most important proposals for amendment to the draft law on parties – New Algeria

The interventions of the heads of the parliamentary blocs focused on the necessity of establishing a binding mechanism that allows for benefiting from public funding, while deleting or clarifying the term “potential funding” for the state, especially with regard to the areas of training and activist involvement, which contributes to enabling parties to play their role in fortifying the state.

Mohamed Tawil, head of the parliamentary group of the National Democratic Rally, suggested the necessity of “subjecting the establishment of a political party to only two stages: holding the founding conference and approving the party.” In return, he stressed “the necessity of granting the political program exclusive intellectual property status,” criticizing in this context “the clear theft of party programs by some other parties.”

Delete the term “potential financing”

The speaker argued in favor of “adopting the principle of declaration instead of licensing, meaning that the party can exercise its powers on the principle of declaration without obtaining a license from the Ministry of Interior.” Another proposal was made by Mohamed Tawil, which stipulates the inclusion of Article 23, which stipulates “prohibiting the establishment of a political party, participation in its founding, or involvement in it for any person who has or is promoting directives that affect identity and national unity.” The speaker also called for the necessity of reviewing the review of the Algerian approach in the field of political action in articles of a similar nature. Penal and punitive measures by adopting a balanced approach that distinguishes between individual and partisan responsibility to avoid restricting political action or alienating citizens from political discourse.

Regarding public funding for parties, the National Democratic Rally, through its representative, proposed deleting the term “potential funding” for political parties because leaving the article in this form is considered a constitutional legal vacuum that is completely inconsistent with the idea of ​​establishing political parties, especially with regard to supporting them in the areas of formation and involvement of activists, and in a way that contributes to enabling the parties to play their role in fortifying the state.

In the midst of his intervention, the head of the parliamentary bloc of the National Democratic Rally said, “The text really aims to consolidate the principle of multi-partisanship and is considered an important step in the path of political reform, but these gaps should be taken into account.”

Curfew starting from the legislative and local elections

For his part, Fatih Boutbek, head of the Future Front, called for the implementation of an article prohibiting political roaming starting from the upcoming local and legislative elections. The speaker said, “The project came with strict measures to prevent the phenomenon of political roaming, but they lack implementation mechanisms.” Here the speaker asked, saying, “Will this article be referred to the organization or to the laws regulating these elected councils?” In this context, the speaker raised a demand to begin implementing this article starting with the upcoming legislative and local elections.

Among other articles raised by the speaker was Article 71 of the draft law, which stipulates that the political party must have a single account open with an accredited national bank in Algeria or a current postal account. The speaker said, “Based on experience as head of a political party, one bank account is not enough, especially since the party has a community abroad and the subscriptions of those involved are poured into an account in hard currency.”

Reducing the foundation path to only two stages

Among the notes recorded by FreeRegarding the project, the Society for Peace Committee focused on the regulatory aspects rather than the developmental dimensions of political life, as the head of the party’s parliamentary bloc, Eid Boukraf, criticized “the exaggeration of administrative procedures in the establishment file, which represents an obstacle to political participation.” The speaker highlighted “the decline in the constitutional right to establish parties by replacing the concept of a declaration with an application for establishment. The difference between them is vast, and it is a fundamental difference from a legal and political standpoint, in addition to dividing the establishment process into 3 complex stages,” proposing to reduce it to only two stages, which are: “The founding conference and accreditation stage.”

The Movement for Society for Peace recorded “an exaggeration in the presence of the judicial record in internal meetings,” in addition to “restricting the relationship between the party and civil society, while this relationship is by nature complementary, and also imposing bureaucratic procedures on party diplomacy in a way that restricts the international presence of parties.”