Algeria: Barely Named, Minister Of Tourism Already Sacked

The new Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune before his appointment on 3 April 2017 in Algiers. 

In Algeria, the Presidency of the Republic announced on Sunday 28 May that it had dismissed the newly appointed Minister of Tourism. Messaoud Benagoun, 35, was the youngest government minister on Thursday. He is accused of not having a criminal record.

It took the weekend for the new Minister of Tourism to be dismissed. On Thursday, 24 hours after the arrival of the new Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a new government is formed.

Messaoud Benagoun, 35, comes from Batna, has never been elected, but is a member of the party of Amara Benyounès, a close friend of President Bouteflika. He became the youngest minister in the government. On Friday, he participated in the ceremony of transfer of power to the Ministry of Tourism.

But on Sunday, a statement from the presidency announced that he had been dismissed, without giving any explanation. According to the media, the young minister had been convicted on several occasions by the courts.

But beyond the reason for this change, observers questioned the error that led the authorities not to check the judicial record of the minister before his appointment. Some question President Bouteflika's inability to govern given his state of health. The leader of the main Islamist party, Abderrazak Makri, denounced Sunday a state scandal.