The top team around the President – led by his brother Saïd Bouteflika; the Chief of Staff and Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaïd Salah; Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal; and the former Premier-turned-directeur de cabinet of the Presidential Office Ahmed Ouyahia – provide cover for Boutef who is usually absent from day-to-day business (AC Vol 57 No 13 Political plots in a slow month)...
This is a rare sign that a more dynamic local economy is emerging despite years of political stasis and Le Pouvoir's method of working with a small network of favoured business bosses in the employers' federation the Forum des chefs d'entreprises led by a Saïd Bouteflika ally Ali Haddad...
Haddad is an ally of the President's brother Saïd Bouteflika but some expect his influence to decline in 2017...
Faction fights have revolved around presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika who is central to the sérail which controls El Mouradia presidential palace...
The decision on a successor would be made in the President's name by Saïd Bouteflika Sellal and third in the hierarchy Bouterfa...
The most anticipated clause opening the way for Bouteflika to appoint a vice-president (a post his allies have long desired for his unpopular brother Saïd Bouteflika) was omitted...
Pouvoir politics will not easily go away: several departing décideurs – those who decide – had reached retirement age but were also identified with factions that opposed the ambitions of the controversial presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika...
The key change would finally allow the Bouteflika clan to appoint a vice-president Saïd Bouteflika being one heavily contested candidate...
That was followed by a series of high-level sackings of officers close to Medienne who were replaced by 'Bouteflika clan' loyalists some close to controversial presidential brother Saïd Bouteflika and Republican Guard commander (since 5 July) Benali Benali (aka Abdelkader Benali; AC Vol 56 No 16 Attack prompts security reshuffle)...
If score-settling rather than a historic deal over Algeria's political future was the main factor in Tewfik's departure then the big winner could be the faction gathered around Saïd Bouteflika...
Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (DRS) military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Mohammed ‘Tewfik' Medienne keeps his job but many of those around him have been replaced by Bouteflika loyalists some close to the president's controversial brother Saïd Bouteflika...
Benali (or Abdelkader) Benali who is said to be close to Saïd Bouteflika...