Will Algerian protesters accept ailing president’s offer for reforms?
Against a background of growing dissent, Algeria’s ailing president has confirmed his intention to run in April’s elections; however, whether a commitment to reform and a fresh vote within the year, delivered by proxy, will be enough to quell protest remains uncertain.
TUNIS, Tunisia — Algeria’s 82-year-old paraplegic President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has confirmed that he intends to run for a fifth term despite more than a week of widespread protests opposing his candidacy.
Demonstrations against Bouteflika’s candidacy have built in scale and momentum since they first broke out over 10 days ago, as protesters took to the streets to voice their anger against the continued rule of the octogenarian incumbent, in power since 1999.
