Algiers: Algeria's President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika replaced the prime minister with one of his staunch backers in order to revise the constitution and extend his stay in power until 2014, analysts say.
Bouteflika loyalist Abdul Aziz Belkhadem took over from Ahmad Ouyahia as prime minister on Thursday and said his priority was to amend the constitution and raise salaries.
Analysts had predicted the departure of Ouyahia, who was reluctant to endorse the constitutional changes.
Belkhadem's National Liberation Front (FLN) and Ouyahia's Democratic National Rally (RND) are the main political forces in the government. Bouteflika says Algeria's constitution is ill-suited to the needs of a society emerging from an armed insurrection that lasted over a decade and killed 200,000 people.
In January, Belkhadem proposed extending the length of the presidential mandate from five to seven years and abrogating a two-term limit.
Analysts said his apparent determination to allow Bouteflika the chance of a third term from 2009 suggested the president, who is recovering from illness, was strong enough to contemplate more years in power.
"A third term, this is what is at stake the president wants to go beyond his second and last term," said Ali Djeri, editor of top-selling newspaper Al Khabar.
"I know that the new prime minister will hike salaries in the coming weeks and amend the constitution next September. This is not good for Algeria's democratic image."
Other observers said the constitutional revision would also entrench Belkhadem's FLN and make sure it stayed in power if the ailing 68-year-old Bouteflika had a relapse.
Bouteflika was flown to a Paris hospital in April and December for what Algerian officials said was treatment for a stomach ulcer. Some, however, suspect he has cancer.
