Deputies of People’s National Assembly approved, today, Tuesday in Algiers, draft laws relating to 12 presidential decrees, amending and supplementing laws related to the sectors of local communities, social security, justice, finance and defense.
The deputies approved during their public session, chaired by the Speaker of the People’s National Assembly, Ibrahim Boughali and which was attended by the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Abderachid Tabbi, and the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Abderrahmane Lahfaya, as well as the Minister of Relations with Parliament, Besma Azour, Representing the Minister of the Interior, Kamel Beldjoud, the draft laws submitted to them for voting, which consist of 12 presidential decrees related to the sectors of interior and local communities, justice, labor and social security, as well as defense and finance.
The Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals and representative of the government, Abderachid Tabbi, indicated in his opening speech, that these presidential decrees that had previously been presented to the State Council and the Constitutional Council and had been discussed and approved by the Council of Ministers before being issued by order of the President of the Republic “are among the political reforms ordered by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune”.
The minister added that the President of the Republic “attached great importance” to preparing a new organic law for elections, and that was among his “political priorities” after amending the constitution, in order to reform legitimate elected councils resulting from fair elections that express the will of the people and assign them the power to discuss and adopt economic reforms, structure and build the new Algeria.
The Minister recalled, on the occasion, the committee that was formed, and which is made up of professors specialized in constitutional law, with the consultation of the political class and various civil society actors in its preparation, given the “important and essential” nature of this text, which aims to establish a new stage in Algeria.
With regard to the draft law containing Ordinance No. 21-08, which amends and supplements Ordinance of June 8, 1966, which includes the Penal Code, the Minister of Justice said, that it aims to “strengthen the provisions of penalties and provisions related to combating terrorism and fighting some dangerous forms of crime that have beset the country and its institutions in recent years,” and which were reflected by a spate of attacks, such as those that came through social media “at the behest of people and entities linked to terrorism and that take the form of collective movements threatening peace and public security.”
In this regard, he added that Algeria “is obligated, like other countries, to protect its territorial integrity and to take measures at the same level of the seriousness of the acts committed, and to implement the mechanisms adopted in this field internationally, regionally and in many countries.”
The Minister also highlighted in this regard that this law will allow “the registration of persons and entities linked to terrorism in a national list called the blacklist of terrorism.”
Regarding the Law No. 21-09 of June 8, 2021,on the Protection of Information and Administrative Documents, which was approved, the Minister of Justice explained, that it aims to address the various forms of crime that target information and documents and to “control” the actions of a public official that sometimes witness a “deviation” that affects state institutions, without exception.
It’s worth noting that a “yes” vote was grated to each of Ordinance No. 21-02 that specifies the electoral districts and the number of seats to be filled in the Parliament elections, Ordinance 21-13 supplementing some provisions of Law No. 11-10 related to the municipality, Ordinance 21-10 that amends and supplements Ordinance 21- 01, which includes the Organic Law relating to the electoral system, as well as Ordinance 21-11 supplementing Ordinance 66-155 containing the Code of Criminal Procedure and Ordinance No. 21-07 containing the Complementary Finance Law of 2021.
In addition to Ordinance 21-12 regarding exceptional measures for the benefit of employees and non-wage persons who exercise a liberal activity, who owe social security contributions, and Ordinance 21-04 amending and supplementing Ordinance No. 76-106 of December 9, 1976, containing the Military Pensions Law and also a draft Law supplementing Ordinance No. 21-06 amending and supplementing Ordinance No. 06-02 containing the General Basic Law for Military Personnel.
