Algerian Radio
The joint parliamentary committee of both houses held its first meeting on Thursday, at the Council of the Nation’s headquarters. The session aimed to propose a consensus formula regarding the disputed provisions of the bill criminalizing French colonialism in Algeria, according to a statement from the Council.
The same source explained that the meeting took place under the supervision of the President of the Council of the Nation, Mr. Azouz Nasri, in application of the provisions of Article 145 (paragraph 5) of the Constitution. It comes in response to the Prime Minister's request to activate the joint committee mechanism, aiming to propose a consensus formula for the text relating to the criminalization of French colonialism in Algeria, which is the subject of disagreement between the two houses of Parliament.
In his speech on this occasion, Mr. Nasri considered the commencement of the committee's work as a “pivotal milestone in the process of handling this text of historical and sovereign significance”. He emphasized the need to “elevate it to the level of a robust reference legislation, based on sound legal foundations and reflecting the constants of the Algerian state”.
He also reaffirmed the principled and unwavering position of the Algerian state, as expressed by the President of the Republic of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, on several occasions, particularly regarding the issue of compensation. He emphasized that “Algeria, which sacrificed millions of martyrs for its freedom and independence, does not barter its memory or its sovereignty for any material consideration, but rather insists on recognition”. In this vein, he called for the drafting of a “reference and model law that transcends the national framework to set a pioneering legislative precedent at the African level, establishing a clear legal approach to dealing with colonial crimes”.
Following this, the meeting continued with the election of the committee's bureau, which included Mr. Nour El Hadj from the Council of the Nation as Chairman of the committee, Mr. Beghidja Saad from the People's National Assembly as Vice-Chairman, in addition to Mr. Bousdaria Faiçal from the Council of the Nation and Mr. Mohamed Faouzi Bendjaballah from the People's National Assembly as Rapporteurs.
In this context, the Chairman of the committee emphasized that the commencement of its work is a “practical embodiment of the constitutional mechanisms aimed at enhancing consensus and ensuring the quality and coherence of legislation”. He noted that the task entrusted to it “is not a mere formality, but rather an institutional responsibility that requires formulating a consensus version that reflects the will of both houses and preserves the harmony established by the Constitution”.
As a reminder, the disagreement between the two houses of Parliament pertains to 13 articles of the bill relating to the criminalization of French colonialism in Algeria.
