The president of the Constitutional Council of Algeria, Mourad Medelci, 76, died early on 28 January after battling illness. As head of the Constitutional Council, which monitors and supervises presidential elections, Medelci had a central role in ensuring smooth process but he was considered as a staunch ally of President Bouteflika.
A native of the western region of Tlemcen [like the president], he had served as the Constitutional Council’s president since 2013. According to inside sources, the next President of the CC will be appointed before the elections.
The death of Medelci is happening in peak pre-election period with up to 150 people considering a run for the presidential post, in a poll scheduled for April 18. The most significant being those of the retired general Ali Ghediri, former head of Government Ali Benflis and the leader of the Islamist party (MSP) Abderrezak Makri. The candidacy of president Bouteflika for a fifth term is strongly supported by the so-called allegiance (FLN, RND including), majority parliamentary party, who called it “to continue” his work. The position of Chairman of the Constitutional Council is critical, since he is the only government official who can impose section 102 of the Constitution in the event the head of state is incapacitated and unfit to govern. According to the law, the head of State has a maximum period of fifteen days to designate a new president of the Constitutional Council.
Below is Medelci’s profile.
Mourad Medelci (: مراد مدلسي; 30 April 1943 – 28 January 2019) was an Algerian politician who served in the government of Algeria as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2007 to 2013. He was President of the Constitutional Council of Algeria from 2013 until his death in 2019.
Early life
[]Born in on 30 April 1943, Medelci studied at the , receiving his bachelor's degree in 1966 and master's degree in 1968. From 1970 to 1980 he worked in the private sector before entering public service as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Trade in 1980. He was married with five children.
Political career
[]Medelci was Minister of Trade from 1988 to 1989 and Deputy Minister for the Budget from 1990 to 1991. He was again Minister of Trade from 1999 to 2001, then from 2001 to 2002. From 2002 to May 2005 he was Adviser to the President, . In May 2005 he became again, serving in that position until he became Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 4 June 2007.
After serving more than six years as Foreign Minister, Medelci was replaced by in the government named on 11 September 2013. President Bouteflika instead appointed Medelci as President of the Constitutional Council on 15 September 2013. Medelci replaced , who had been appointed to the government as Minister of the Interior.
Death
[]Medelci was very unwell in January 2019, he was hospitalised in Paris before being brought back to Algiers in the last week of January. By 27 January, he was incapable of carrying out his role of president of the Constitutional Council just as it was preparing to oversee the . Medelci died at approximately 1:30am on 28 January in Algiers. He was buried the same day in Ben Aknoun cemetery. The constitutional council, led by the vice-president will meet to discuss the situation.
