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Algeria's draft constitution to be voted by Parliament early next month

Xinhua, January 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika signed on Saturday a decree that will convene both houses of the parliament for a meeting early next month to approve a draft revision of the country's constitution, said an official statement.

The draft amendments would establish Tamazight as an official language for national unity, limit the presidency to two terms, and the ban on Bi-nationals to hold high state office.

Earlier this week, the country's constitutional council approved the draft, saying the revision would neither undermine the general principles that run the society and protect human rights, nor affect the fundamental balance of powers.

However, the main opposition parties, either secular or Islamist snubbed the meetings, said they do not accept to debate a "readymade" constitution. They believe that revising the constitution should be done through a referendum.

Following the eruption of the so-called "Arab Spring" in 2011, President Bouteflika launched a series of political reforms, and the draft constitution amendment is one of them. It touches on fixing laws on election, political parties, associations and media. Endit