The five candidates for Algeria's presidential election slated for December 12th signed the "Campaign Ethics Charter" in the capital on the eve of the start of the election campaign on Saturday.
Ezzedine Mihoubi, acting secretary-general of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is competing with Abdelkader Benkreina, head of the National Building Movement Party, former prime minister Abdelmajid Taboun, Ali Benflis, head of the Vanguards of Liberties Party, and Abdelaziz Belaid, head of the Future Front party.
The signing of the charter came a day before the launch of the three-week propaganda campaign, while the Election Commission is expected to invite media officials to sign it later today.
For his part, Chairman of the Electoral Commission Mohammed Sharafi in his speech that the Charter is a common denominator among all participants in the electoral process and a reference to build a democratic edifice.
for the first time
This is the first time in the country's history that candidates have signed a similar document to ensure the smooth running of the campaign.
The charter provides for deep and sustained respect for the democratic process, compliance with laws and practical texts governing election and campaigning rules, as well as the prevention of exploitation of religious and educational institutions.
Contestants are also bound by the Charter to always make realistic statements to the public, and refrain from uttering the words of defamation and insults against any other candidate or one of the actors in the electoral process or any other statement they know is wrong.
The signatories pledged to "refrain from making any statements involving defamation, insults and insults towards another candidate or party in the electoral process and any other false statements."
At the start of the race, the street is sharply divided, with some favoring presidential elections as the only way out of the crisis by choosing a president to implement reform demands, a position backed by the army leadership.
Others oppose this and demand that the elections be postponed on the grounds that the conditions are not favorable to hold them on this date, and consider the elections only a way to renew the regime itself.