Belkhadem, Abdelaziz

▪ prime minister of Algeria

born Nov. 8, 1945, Aflou, Alg.

      politician who became prime minister of Algeria in 2006.

      After studying literature and economics, Belkhadem worked as a tax inspector (1964–67) and professor (1968–71). In 1972 he became deputy director of international relations for the revolutionary council headed by Houari Boumedienne (Boumedienne, Houari), who would become president of Algeria in 1976. Belkhadem was elected to the national assembly in 1977, representing the municipality of Sougueur for the National Liberation Front (Front de Libération Nationale; FLN), then the country's only legal political party. Reelected in 1982 and 1987, he became vice president of the assembly in 1988 and its president in 1990. In July 2000 he was appointed minister of state and foreign minister. He resigned the latter post in 2005 to devote himself to his role as secretary-general of the FLN.

      In May 2006 Pres. Abdelaziz Bouteflika named Belkhadem prime minister, a move critics saw as a ploy by the incumbent to secure a third term as president. By law, Algeria's president is limited to two terms, and indeed Belkhadem later suggested that if the law were changed, his party would nominate Bouteflika for a third term.

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