ALGIERS, October 28 (IslamOnline.net) - The resignations of five leading members of the Islamic-oriented Movement for National Reform, Algeria’s main opposition party, have stirred controversy.

Some observers saw the move justifiable and based on solid considerations while party officials cried foul play and played the conspiracy tune.

The five resigned protesting what they termed as an attempt by the party's leader Sheikh Abdullah Gaballah to clip the wings of the party's bodies and keep all the strings in his hands.

Ahmed Abdul Salam, the resigned media officer of the Movement for National Reform, declined to further elaborate on the resignation motivations.

"We have decided not to make any press statements other than the resignation statement," he told IslamOnline.net.

The said statement accused Sheikh Gaballah of imposing a new draft bylaw discussing it with the party's bodies.

It further added that Sheikh Gaballah has given himself the ultimate authority in the political decision-making process and deciding on the party's strategic files even without consulting with the Shura (consultative) council.

Saedi Abdul Ghafour, the party's deputy leader, described the resignations as part of a "conspiracy to weaken the movement."

The Movement for National Reform has 24 seats in the Algerian parliament and is the country's main opposition party.

Ghafour questioned the timing of the resignations which came ahead of the party's general assembly.

The party's members will stand firmly against their conspiracy, he told IOL.

"As usual in Arab countries, conspiracies target the leaders of the parties, especially those with Islamic-orientation."

Algerian political analyst Abdel Ali Ruzaki also saw the resignations in a negative light.

He ruled out that the decision was linked to the party's leader, adding the resigned members would have otherwise waited until the general assembly meeting and not take the issue to the media.

The expert said the resignations were an attempt to weaken the party, especially after its staunch opposition to the controversial family law amendments.

"The party's opposition to the law found sweeping support, particularly from Algeria’s Muslim Scholars Association, arousing the authorities' fears," Ruzaki said.

He recalled, in this respect, successful attempts by the authorities with a number of Algerian parties.

In 1990, the authorities reportedly encouraged 40 members of Ahmed Ben Bella's Movement for Democracy to walk out.

In the same year, the Socialist Forces Front (FFS) of Hocine Aït Ahmed hardly escaped the same fate.

"Splits within the strong parties have always been a successful tool used by the authorities to render political pluralism a sheer sham."