Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika carried out a minor cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, only two days after dismissing the prime minister.
The reshuffle included the appointment of Youcef Yousfi as minister for industry and mines, Mohamed Benmeradi as trade minister and Abdelwahid Temmar as housing minister.
The other 24 ministers kept their portfolios in the cabinet headed by Ahmed Ouyahia who was appointed to replace Abdelmadjid Tebboune only three months after being assigned this position.
Commenting on these changes, Political Science professor Mohammad Hanad said that men allied with the president are entering the government. He noted that Ouyahia was the head of the president’s bureau before being appointed prime minister on Tuesday.
There have been reports that Bouteflika had sent a strongly worded letter to Tebboune, demanding he adjust his policies and criticising a decision to restrict imports of many products.
Observers considered that Tebboune is paying the price of his announced intention to fight the link between politicians and businessmen – he once stated that “the state is a state and money is money.”
Political Sciences professor Rachid Talmasani said that “the ministers who have applied procedures such as reducing imports especially in the car sector were dismissed.”
Al Watan Newspaper also expected that ministers, who have waged war on the power of money, to be dismissed.
