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In February 2019, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that he would run for a fifth term, which has caused an uproar in the country, rife with protests since. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP)
A group of opposition parties and Algerian unions on Saturday proposed a "road map" to end a political crisis and weeks of protests triggered by the veteran president's attempt to stay in power.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced on February 22 that he would run for a fifth term in the elections on April 18, despite concerns about his ability to govern, which provoked an uproar in the country that has since been seized with demonstrations.
The 82-year-old, who uses a wheelchair and has rarely appeared in public since his 2013 stroke, he announced earlier this month that he would pull out of the race.
But he also postponed the elections, which means he will remain in power until the polls are held.
Bouteflika's current term of office will expire on April 28 and proposals adopted at a meeting between opposition parties and unions call for a six-month transition period from that date.
The roadmap stipulates the creation of a "presidential body" that would lead the country during the transition period and that would be composed of "national personalities known for their credibility, integrity and skills".
Bouteflika, who is 82, uses a wheelchair and has rarely appeared in public since a stroke in 2013, said he would pull out of the race but also postponed the election. By Simon MALFATTO (AFP / File) However, members of the body should not run in the upcoming presidential elections or support any of the candidates, said the statement read by AFP.
The proposals were made at a meeting attended by the party of Bouteflika's main rival, Ali Benflis, former Prime Minister who had joined the opposition, and the main Islamist party, the Mouvement pour la Société. Peace.
The Algerian opposition, however, was marginalized by the protest movement, largely led by students angry with the country's political system.
The proposals arrive one day after hundreds of thousands of Algerians have demonstrated nationwide for a fifth Friday in a row, demanding the resignation of Bouteflika and demanding a change of regime.
On Saturday, a thousand lawyers gathered in the capital, Algiers, chanting "We are fed up" with this government and calling on the political system to "pull out".
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