Algerian parliament adopts bills to create electoral authority

Algerian Minister of Justice Belkacem Zeghmati

ALGIERS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Algerian People's National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, on Thursday adopted two bills on the creation of the Independent National Electoral Authority in charge of elections, the official APS news agency reported.

According to the adopted bills, the Independent National Electoral Authority is responsible for the preparation, organization, management, supervision and monitoring of elections.

The authority will be composed of a president, an office and a council at the central level and will have provincial delegations at the local level.

The Minister of Justice Belkacem Zeghmati said that the creation of the organization is an "important achievement" that will get the country out of the impasse and avoid falling into the constitutional void.

The incumbent authority in Algeria is pushing for presidential elections as soon as possible to put an end to the political crisis that started in late February, when millions of Algerians took to the streets to demand the country's longtime leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign.

Abdelkader Bensalah took office after Bouteflika's resignation on April 2, and called for a presidential election on July 4, but the lack of candidates has prevented it.