A long article in the Pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper on 27 August
supported the rumours that have been circulating for the last few weeks that
Amar Ghoul is making a play to get back into government, either
as a minister or possibly even Prime Minister.
He was a member of the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) and
the Minister of Public Works in the previous government. However, with the MSP
no longer part of the Presidential Alliance, and with Ghoul now defecting from
the MSP to form his own TAJ Party, his political future is the focus of much
speculation.
In a seminar prior to the TAJ's constituent assembly, Ghoul
gave repeated and strong backing for President Bouteflika, indicating his
willingness to join the presidential alliance from which the MSP had withdrawn.
He was clearly hinting that he was willing to take his new TAJ party back into
such an alliance, which currently includes the National Liberation Front (FLN)
and the National Rally for Democracy (RND).
Ghoul has a potentially significant political following,
especially in the Algiers region, which includes a number of resigned MSP
figures and some of the deputies from the parties that made up the May
election's Green Algerian Alliance, including the MSP, the Islamic Renaissance
Movement (Ennahda) and the Movement for National Reform (Islah). There is also
speculation that Ghoul may be attracting a following, albeit perhaps small, from
certain Algerian student movements.
The latest rumour is that Ghoul may return to government,
possibly reinstated as Minister of Public Works, in a ministry which could be
expanded to include both transport and water. His name is also being touted as
the possible new Prime Minister (to replace Ahmed Ouyahia), but
this would seem to be a long shot.
© 2012 Menas Associates
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