ALGIERS, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Algerian National Union of Magistrates (NUM) on Tuesday announced suspension of the strike they launched a week ago after reaching an agreement with the government, official media reported.
"Suspending the strike was reached thanks to good will mediations ... (the magistrates) responded favorably to the dialogue with the Ministry of Justice in the light of the circumstances the country is enduring," the head of NUM Issaad Mabrouk was quoted as saying by the state-run radio channel 1.
Mabrouk said the magistrates took reference to the political crisis hitting the country since February and the presidential elections scheduled for Dec. 12.
He noted that "a formula of preliminary agreement was reached mainly to open workshops to discuss all the provisions related to the independence of justice."
Regarding the Justice Ministry's decision to transfer some 3,000 judges to new courts, Mabrouk said the judges must file objection to the Permanent Office of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, which should hold a meeting on Nov. 17 to examine the grievances case by case and in accordance with the law.
Mabrouk stressed that the final decisions of the council thereafter will be "binding on all."
The NUM announced a week ago an open strike to challenge the decision of the Ministry of Justice to transfer about 3,000 judges without consulting the union and the Supreme Council of Justice.
On Monday, the Justice Ministry ordered an investigation over clashes reported on Sunday between striking judges and law and order troops at the court of Oran in western Algeria.
The NUM strongly condemned the incident, saying some judges were injured and what happened in Oran "is a violation of judicial building under international conventions in times of peace and war."
The Ministry of Justice made sure to settle the emerging conflict with the judges as soon as possible, in order to concentrate more on preparing the presidential election scheduled on Dec. 12, mostly as the magistrates play an essential role in organizing and monitoring the polls.
