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Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been called to resign from the chief of staff of the armed forces, Ahmed Gaid Salah. By Eric FEFERBERG, Farouk Batiche (AFP)
Algerian President in trouble, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, resigned with immediate effect on Tuesday after unprecedented protests and a call from the army chief for dismissal.
His departure, reported by the state media, marks the end of two decades of power that have seen him hang on because of health issues at the top of the notoriously opaque ruling elite. d & # 39; Algeria.
Here are the main actors of the political drama:
Bouteflika and his entourage
Bouteflika, aged 82, has been heading Algeria since 1999 with the support of his loyal donors, but a series of them have dropped out under pressure from the mbadive demonstrations that have been taking place since February.
One of the first to abandon him was the head of the army, General Ahmed Gaid Salah, who on Tuesday increased the pressure by demanding the release of Bouteflika, rarely seen in public since the beginning of his stroke in 2013.
His main ally has long been his younger brother and special advisor, Said Bouteflika, his younger 21-year-old, often cited as a likely successor to the president.
Discreet and rarely seen in public, Saïd Bouteflika has had a growing influence behind the scenes as his brother's health problems worsened, but the president's resignation could take away much of his power.
L & # 39; army
After taking power with the support of the army, Bouteflika has gradually been getting rid of the influence of senior army officers.
Gaid Salah was promoted to Chief of the Army in 2004 when he was about to retire, following a showdown between Bouteflika and his predecessor.
He was a loyal supporter who helped Bouteflika dismantle the powerful intelligence agency DRS, considered by many to be a "state within a state".
Over the years, the leader of the armed forces has become one of the most powerful personalities of the regime, thus giving more weight to his calls for the Bouteflika invasion.
Military intervention to end peaceful street protests did not seem likely.
The army did not seem to want to rush into conflict like the civil war that has raged through most of the 1990s.
Placeholder replacement
According to the Algerian constitution, the Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah, is expected to badume the functions of interim president for a maximum of 90 days during which a presidential election must be held.
Bensalah, 77, is a seasoned insider who has been a speaker for almost 17 years. He has also replaced Bouteflika at many national and international events since the leader's attack.
Another veteran of the struggle for independence, he served as legislator, ambbadador, civil servant and senator during a long career that sees him now propelled from the shadows to the first position.
In 2015, the Algerian daily El Watan wrote that he "knows he is useful at the right time, that's what he knows how to do, he who seldom talks about issues related to the management of business." # 39; State. "
Political parties
Algerian political parties, including opposition movements, were marginalized by mbad protests that erupted in February after Bouteflika announced his bid for a fifth term.
Protesters rallied against Bouteflika's National Liberation Front (FLN) party and its key ally, the National Rally for Democracy (RND), as part of their demands for a reshaping of the country's political system.
Under pressure, the RND and some members of the FLN deserted the president but failed to win the hearts of protesters who called for "change" during almost daily protests.
The opposition parties did not get much better off, the protesters accusing some members of not having resisted the creation of power during Bouteflika's 20 years of rule and to have played role in the political system.
Ali Benflis, former prime minister of Bouteflika, who became one of the president's main rivals, and Abderrazak Makri, of the moderate Islamist movement for the Society of Peace, are among those being punished.
The movement of the street
The protests, mostly led by social media enthusiasts and including lawyers and other professionals, have heightened the pressure with a succession of mbadive Friday rallies.
Over the weeks, their demands have been met by government actions, including the announced departure of Bouteflika, but it is unclear whether the protest movement will stop.
The protesters do not have official spokespersons, although personalities such as the prominent rights activist Mustapha Bouchachi or the opposition politician Karim Tabbou have become possible representatives.
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