FLN LOYALIST SELECTED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000747 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM INRB AG SUBJECT: FLN LOYALIST SELECTED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL PARLIAMENT Classified By: Ambassador Robert S. Ford, reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (U) PM Abdelaziz Belkhadem announced May 28 that the National Liberation Front (FLN),National Rally for Democracy (RND),and Movement for a Society at Peace (MSP) had agreed to support FLN MP-elect Abdelaziz Ziari in the balloting for president of the national assembly. MSP leader Bouguerra Soltani and RND head Ahmed Ouyahia stood beside PM Belkhadem during the announcement, which occurred after a meeting of the three heads of the presidential coalition parties. Given the absolute majority the coalition enjoys in parliament, Ziari is expected to be elected on the first ballot and installed, along with other parliamentarians, May 31. ¶2. (C) Ziari headed the FLN party list for Algiers and is considered an FLN loyalist. Reputed as very moderate and reasonable, political party contacts said he is widely respected as being fair-minded. RND outgoing MP Noureddine Benbrahim and re-elected MP Abdelrezzak Makri of MSP told us May 28 their party leadership ultimately agreed to support his candidacy in exchange for better representation in the new cabinet, when eventually formed. Following the May 17 parliamentary elections, it was widely expected that parliament would be installed May 20. As that date approached, however, MSP increasingly declared publicly that the presidency of the parliament should not automatically go to the FLN. MSP reasoned that the FLN, albeit the party with the most seats in parliament, nonetheless was the only coalition party to lose seats in the elections. Abdelouahab Abdelhalim, youth director for MSP and a newly elected parliamentarian, told PolEc Chief May 22 that FLN had wanted to install former Algerian Ambassador to Mali Abdelkrim Gheraib as parliamentary president May 20, but opposition from RND and MSP led to a proliferation of candidates for the post, and Belkhadem decided to postpone the opening of parliament until the end of the month so that there would be sufficient time to come to agreement. COOPERATION WITH U.S. LIKELY TO CONTINUE -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Two members of parliament's professional staff told us May 28 that Ziari may bring his current staff with him to parliament. Given Ziari's reputation for moderation and bridge-building, these same contacts tell us it is likely that the parliament's current director for external relations, Boualim Tatah, will retain his current position. (Tatah coordinates on behalf of parliament with the National Conference of State Legislatures on its MEPI grant.) Even if Tatah is replaced, Benbrahim expected Ziari would want to support parliament's ongoing cooperation with the United States. (Comment: we will seek an appointment with the future parliament president, and with some other prominent parliamentarians, to determine whether or not we think continuing the program would be worthwhile. End Comment.) BIO NOTE -------------- ¶4. (U) Ziari has served in the government since May 2005 as the minister of relations with parliament. He was a counselor to President Bouteflika from May 2003 to April 2004 and took up the post of minister for youth and sports from April 2004 until May 2005. Ziari has foreign affairs experience dating from his December 1999 to April 2002 posting as minister delegate at MFA in charge of the national community abroad and regional cooperation. In the early 1990s, he also served as labor minister. Born August 28, 1945 in Constantine, he obtained a university degree in mathematics in 1962 and undertook the study of medicine. A physician, he was first elected to parliament as a member of the FLN in 1977. Ziari is married and has two children. FORD