Bouteflika seeks fifth term as president of Algeria

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 81, will run for a fifth term in the April elections, he said in a message published by the official media.

Bouteflika has been in the job for 20 years, but has rarely been seen in public since his 2013 stroke.

He insisted that his "unwavering desire" to serve Algeria enabled him to "transcend the constraints of health".

Critics say that makes it difficult in the performance of his duties.

He is confined to a wheelchair and has canceled his recent official meetings.

The last meeting of Mr Bouteflika with a senior Foreign Minister took place during a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in September. An earlier meeting with her had been canceled.

However, there is general expectation that Mr Bouteflika will win the April elections, said Ahmed Rouaba of BBC Arabic.

Is he the world's oldest leader?

No, by far.

The oldest elected leader in the world is Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93 years old.

Mr. Mahathir joked about his age when he was elected prime minister in May.

"Yes, yes, I'm still alive," he told the crowd at a press conference.

Mr. Bouteflika can take a closer look at his home to find another elected president who is several years older than himself.

The Algerian neighbor, Tunisia, is headed by 92-year-old President Beji Caid Essebsi.