1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Politics

Chief of staff calls for Bouteflika to be deemed unfit

March 26, 2019

Algeria's army chief has called for 82-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to be declared unfit to rule. With the power to make the declaration, the constitutional council has convened an emergency meeting.

At the weekend, there was another rally calling for the immediate resignation of the president
At the weekend, there was another rally calling for the immediate resignation of the presidentImage: Reuters/R. Boudina

Algerian army chief of staff Ahmed Gaid Salah on Tuesday called for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to be removed from office by using articles of the constitution.

The North African country has been rocked by more than a month of protests calling for Bouteflika to step down in order to pave the way for a democratic overhaul of Algeria's political system.

"In this context it became necessary, even imperative, to find a solution to end the crisis that responds to the legitimate demands of the Algerian people and which quarantines the rules of the constitution," Salah said in comments carried by state news agency APS.

Read more:As Algeria protests grow, France keeps a silent, watchful eye 

General Salah said it's time for the president to be removed from officeImage: picture-alliance/dpa/A.Belghoul

President's incapacity'

Algeria's constitution council has held a special meeting after the army chief's call to remove the president, reported private TV channel El Bilad.

If the constitutional council formally declares Bouteflika unfit for office, parliament's upper and lower house would then need to ratify the decision by a two-thirds majority.

Army chief Salah suggested using Article 102 of the constitution as the method by which to remove Bouteflika. The article can be used if the "President of the Republic, because of serious and enduring illness, finds himself in a total incapacity to exercise his functions."

Based on Article 52, the chairman of parliament's upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, could serve as caretaker president for at least 45 days.

Read more: Is Algeria the new 'cradle of civilization?'

Bouteflika has rarely made public appearances since suffering a stroke in 2013. The general emphasized that the president was no longer fit in his call for the president to be removedImage: picture-alliance/S. Djarboub

Protests gain momentum

Bouteflika, once a national war hero for his involvement in the liberation war against France, has rarely appeared in public after suffering a stroke in 2013. He has ruled over Algeria for nearly two decades.

On Sunday, Algeria's ruling party withdrew its support for Bouteflika's proposal to hold a national dialogue conference, aimed at resolving the current political impasse.

There have been street protests with hundreds of thousands of Algerians rallying against Bouteflika's re-election bid and extension of his rule since February 22.

Earlier this month, Bouteflika abandoned his bid to seek a fifth term, but then said he would remain in office until a successor was elected.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

ls/jm (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

Skip next section Explore more
Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW