ALGIERS (AFP)--Algeria's parliament will meet next week to vote on constitutional changes which would notably allow President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to serve a third term, the president's office said.
The statement said Bouteflika had signed a decree summoning both houses of parliament to convene Wednesday to debate and vote on the proposed amendments.
Under the current constitution Bouteflika would be unable to run again for president in elections planned for early next year, having served two five-year terms.
Parties supporting Bouteflika have an absolute parliamentary majority and have already backed the changes, which were given the green light Friday by the watchdog Constitutional Council.
Announcing the proposed amendments in a speech on Oct. 29 Bouteflika made no mention of his seeking a third term.
He said his proposals aimed "to enrich the institutional system with the bases of stability, efficacy and continuity," the state news agency reported.
That process would be based on the "protection of the symbols of the glorious revolution ... so that nobody can touch, change for the worse or manipulate them."
It would concern the "reorganization, precision and clarification of prerogatives and relationships between the constituent elements of the executive without, however, touching the balances of powers."
He said the revision would "allow the people to exersize their legitimate right to choose those who governs them and renew their confidence in them in all sovereignty."
He also said the revised version of the constitution would ensure greater political rights and representation for women.
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/al?rnd=T%2FTO2Y5Sel8mL8G1fy6EOg%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 08, 2008 11:16 ET (16:16 GMT)

Publié le 08 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones