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Algerian President in trouble, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, announced Sunday his intention to run for a fifth term in the presidential elections of this country of North Africa, scheduled for April.
The announcement was made in a Bouteflika statement to the nation transmitted by the official APS news agency.
The president, 81, in power since 1999, suffered a stroke in 2013. He is rarely seen in public.
"In response to all calls and calls, today I declare my candidacy for the presidential election," Bouteflika said.
On Saturday, the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) nominated Bouteflika as a candidate for the April 18 vote.
In recent years, the opposition has raised questions about Bouteflika's ability to stay in power.
Bouteflika acknowledged his poor health, but insisted that he was still able to continue to run the country's affairs.
"Of course, I'm not as physically strong as before … I did not hide it from our people that day, but the firm will to serve my country never left and will allow me to overcome the difficulties related to illness, "he said.
National Symposium
Bouteflika also promised that if he was re-elected, he would institute political, economic and social reforms.
"If you give me the honor of your precious confidence next April, I will invite all the forces of the population this year to organize a national symposium, which will aim to reach a consensus on reforms, "he told Algerians.
He added that the proposed forum could propose constitutional changes, but he did not specify what they might be.
Bouteflika's main competitors are former Prime Minister Ali Benflis, a finalist in the 2014 elections; the influential general retired Ali Ghediri; and the leader of a moderate Islamist party, Abderrazak Makri.
In recent years, Algerian finances have been affected by the global drop in oil prices, resulting in a reduction in state subsidies.
Bouteflika is the only president of North Africa to have been spared from the pro-democracy uprisings of the Arab Spring that began in neighboring Tunisia in 2010.
At the time, his government was organizing pro-democracy protests in Algeria with promises of reforms and wage increases financed by the country's oil and gas revenues.
His reelection will ensure short-term stability for the FLN, the military and business moguls, and postpone a potentially difficult succession.
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