2 Islamist parties merge in one movement in Algeria

Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-23 02:54:47|Editor: yan
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ALGIERS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Algerian Islamist political party of the Front of Change on Saturday has officially merged into the Movement for Society of Peace (MSP) ahead of local elections due on November.

Abdelmadjid Menasra, who dissolved his party, the Front of Change, on July 1, has become new leader of MSP for a period of six months, until January 2018, during an extraordinary congress held in Algiers.

Menasra replaced Abderrazak Makri who should resume his duties as head of MSP during the ordinary congress of the party in May 2018, which will see the election of a new leader.

Menasra is a founding member of MSP, but established his own party in 2009, on the pretext that MSP deviated from the guidelines of its spiritual and late leader Mafoud Nahnah (1942-2003).

Political observers are sceptical over the success of this unity amid the existing divergence of ideas among senior officials of the MSP.

In fact, Makri rejected to join the government after the parliamentary election of May 2017, despite calls from prominent members of the party, including former leader Aboudjerra Soltani who vainly struggled to return to the government.

The first real test to Abdelmadjid Menasra as a new leader of MSP is due during the forthcoming local elections later this year, as the Islamist party aims to grab maximum seats at communal and prefecture assemblies.

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