Algeria’s lower house of parliament elected on 24 October by a total of 320 out of 462 lawmakers Mouad Bouchareb as its new speaker to replace Said Bouhadja. Deputies of the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) and its coalition partner, the Democratic National Rally, accused Bouhadja of mismanagement in the job of speaker. Members of the opposition party boycotted the parliamentary session in solidarity with Bouhadja, who described his ouster as illegal. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he ruled out that the presidency had been behind his ousting, and said: “I am one of the strongest defenders of the policies of President (Abdulaziz) Bouteflika”.