Is this a turning point for Algeria?
Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika says he won’t run for a fifth term and has delayed elections.
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has said he has abandoned his bid for a fifth term.
But the man who has led Algeria for nearly 20 years does not seem to be leaving his post any time soon.
Bouteflika’s announcement on Monday came after three weeks of protests against his plans to run for a fifth term in office.
The president has also postponed next month’s presidential elections indefinitely, appointed a new prime minister and announced that a national conference will be held to reschedule an election and draft a new constitution.
But that’s not going to happen before the end of the year, leaving Bouteflika in power in the meantime.
Algerians who first celebrated Bouteflika’s decision are now back on the streets of central Algiers demanding the entire government resign.
Is the ailing president’s announcement a ploy by those who hold the real power to protect their own interests?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Amel Boubekeur – Research fellow at the Paris-based School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
Olivier Guitta – Managing director of the risk consultancy Globalstrat