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Bloomberg
An Algerian criminal court on Tuesday jailed two former prime ministers for corruption, days ahead of a presidential vote that has served to only fuel the anger of protesters demanding the purging of the old regime.
Abdelmalek Sellal, who twice held the premiership under ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was sentenced to 12 years, while Ahmed Ouyahia got 20 years, state television reported. Several other businessmen, including Bouteflika ally Ali Hadad, were also sentenced. Hadad received a seven-year jail sentence.
The judgments came days before the December 12 presidential ballot in which five candidates are vying for the North African OPEC nation’s top office. The race, however, has been met with jeers and frustration by protesters who have called for a complete shakeup in the ruling regime. The demonstrators say the five candidates are all political insiders and offer no real hope of reform.
The country’s powerful military chief, however, has pressed for the vote, saying it’s the only way Algeria can begin to tackling its dire economic challenges and restore normalcy after Bouteflika’s resignation in April following months of protests.