Presidential election: Candidates focus on local development, citizens' concerns     

ALGIERS-On Monday, the 19th and penultimate day of the electoral campaign, candidates for the September 7 presidential election and their representatives focused their speeches on the need to boost local development to address citizens' concerns and meet their aspirations.

The candidate of the Front of Socialist Forces (FFS), Youcef Aouchiche, who organized an outreach activity in Oran in the morning before speaking at Algerian Radio's “The Presidential Election Forum” said that his program proposed “the creation of local economic hubs” taking into account the specific features and potential of each region.

This proposal aims to encourage local initiative and free investment from bureaucratic obstacles, he said, stressing that his program advocates the fight against disparities in development in the economic sector, particularly in the processing industry, whether in petrochemicals or agri-food.

He also called for developing the tourism and agriculture sectors to achieve food self-sufficiency, particularly in cereals.

For his part, Brahim Merad, campaign manager for independent candidate Abdelmadjid Tebboune, called on voters in the provinces of Souk Ahras and Guelma to vote for Abdelmadjid Tebboune in order to “support the country's development momentum.”

In Souk Ahras, he affirmed that Abdelmadjid Tebboune's program included several measures for the development of border and remote areas to improve the living conditions of their inhabitants.

According to Merad, a high voter turnout and the re-election of Abdelmadjid Tebboune would enable him to “complete the process of achievements he launched during his first term, particularly for young people, who feature prominently in his electoral program.”

In Guelma, Merad said that Abdelmadjid Tebboune had succeeded, during his first presidential term, in “laying the foundations of a solid development to address the development shortfalls that were recorded in certain regions of the country.”         

He pointed out that remote areas and mountainous regions had benefited from several roads, drinking water, public lighting and natural gas projects.

Merad also affirmed that Abdelmadjid Tebboune will work during the next stage, in the event of his re-election, to “pursue his program of balanced development between the regions,” stressing that the province of Guelma will benefit from a “special program.”

In the same vein, the Secretary General of the National Democratic Rally (RND), the presidents of the El-Bina Movement, Tajamoue Amel el Jazair (TAJ), El Fadjr El Djadid, El Moustakbel and Sawt Echaab parties renewed their call to vote in favor of the independent candidate Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to enable him to complete the reform process and continue the development process the country is undergoing.          

The same applies to the presidents of the Freedom and Justice Party (PLJ) and the New Algeria Front (FAN), as well as the general secretaries of the El Karama party and the Good Governance Front (FBG), who also called for Abdelmadjid Tebboune to be re-elected for a second presidential term.

For his part, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, candidate of the Movement of Society of Peace (MSP) party said from Batna that his project aimed to “create jobs and promote investment in various fields according to the needs of each region.”

He also emphasized “the important role of young people in completing the country’s development process” through “the adoption of special programs to protect and raise awareness among young people of their responsibility in building and defending the homeland.”

He pointed out that the province of Batna, “capital of the Aures and the birthplace of the hero of the National Liberation War, Shaheed Mustapha Benboulaid,” is a “historical province of great symbolic significance.”

The MSP candidate affirmed that his program “is a national unifying project capable of preserving the homeland and its sovereignty, social cohesion, values and freedoms”, a project which proposes appropriate solutions to the concerns of citizens with a view to achieving comprehensive development.”

Abdelkrim Dahmane, vice-president of the MSP party, hosted a rally for the same candidate in Oum El Bouaghi province and said that Hassani Cherif's electoral program aimed to build a “strong and prosperous” Algeria.