Though his decision not to seek a fifth term sparked celebrations, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's move to delay elections has Algerians up in arms. Many want a quick transition after Bouteflika's 20-year rule.
Protests in Algiers against President Abdelaziz BouteflikaImage: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Batiche
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Thousands protested in Algeria on Tuesday against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to delay presidential elections indefinitely.
Hundreds of demonstrators, most of them students, gathered at the Grande Poste D'Alger Square in the nation's capital of Algiers, saying Bouteflika was just "playing with words."
"The students are resisting the extension of the fourth mandate," they chanted.
Huge crowds also gathered in several other cities in the country, including the Mediterranean port of Bejaia, where Ennahar TV reported workers began a strike that paralyzed operations there. Protests are expected nationwide on Friday.
Bouteflika, 82, announced on Monday that he would not seek a fifth term, bowing to weeks of mass demonstrations against his two-decade-long rule, but stopped short of stepping down. He also postponed an April 18 election without setting a new date, a move that could leave him in power indefinitely.
Threatening democracy
His decision to withdraw his candidacy sparked celebrations on Monday, though many called it only a first step. Critics fear that the president's maneuver to delay elections threatens democracy and could pave the way for him to handpick a successor.
Bouteflika wants to oversee Algeria's political transition after 20 years in powerImage: picture-alliance/dpa/epa/M. Messara
Protesters on Tuesday demanded quicker action from the Algerian government, adept at manipulating opposition groups, might attempt to weaken and divide the protests.
"The whole system must disappear immediately. Our battle will continue," Noureddine Habi, a 25-year-old student, told Reuters news agency in Algiers.
Protests erupted last month against Bouteflika's plans to seek a fifth term, drawing millions to the streets. Young people in Algeria have been at the forefront of the demonstrations against the Algerian president, whose government is filled with other veterans of the 1954-1962 war of independence against France.
'Reasonable duration' to transition
Bouteflika is expected to name Lakhdar Brahimi, a prominent international peacemaker who worked as a UN mediator in Syria, to lead a new "national conference" aimed at setting a new election date and drafting a new constitution. The appointment of Brahimi, who is also in his 80s, could ease concerns of foreign allies, but many critics have dismissed him as a has-been who has spent too much time abroad to understand Algeria's current situation.
France, which has a large Algerian population due to its long colonial history in North Africa, has been watching the developments closely. French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said Bouteflika's announcement opened a new chapter for the North African country, but called for a "reasonable duration" to the transition period.
"I think it's a sign of maturity. We will do everything to accompany Algeria in this transition with friendship and respect."
Ten African presidents who died in office
Rumors are spreading in Africa about the health of Nigerian President Buhari and Algerian President Bouteflika. The situation has sparked memories across Africa, where 10 presidents have recently died in office.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Seyllou
1) Michael Sata, president of Zambia (2014)
Michael Sata is the most recent African president to have died while in office. He died at the age of 77 of an undisclosed illness in the United Kingdom on October 28th, 2014. After his election in 2011, rumors about his failing health spread across Zambia. His continuous absence at major state functions raised concerns about his well-being, even though his spokesmen said he was in good health.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
2) Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia (2012)
Meles Zenawi died in August of 2012 in Belgium at the age of 57 of an undisclosed infection. He led Ethiopia for a total of 21 years, as president from 1991 to 1995 and as prime minister from 1995 to 2012. He is known for introducing multi-party democracy, but also for violently suppressing the legitimate protests of the Oromia people of northern Ethiopia.
Image: AP
3) John Atta Mills, president of Ghana (2012)
Also in 2012, John Atta Mills, the president of Ghana, died in his home country of stroke and throat cancer at the age of 68. He won the presidential election in 2008 and was in office for only three years. As president, he instituted a number of far-reaching economic and social reforms that earned him both local and international commendations.
Image: AP
4) Bingu wa Mutharika, president of Malawi (2012)
Another president to die in 2012 is Bingu wa Mutharika, the president of Malawi. He suffered a heart attack in April and died two days later at the age of 78. His tenure was eight years long and he achieved broad success with his food and agricultural policies. His reputation was damaged by widespread public protests over his purchase of a $14 million (13.2 million euros) presidential jet.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
5) Malam Bacai Sanha, president of Guinea-Bissau (2012)
The fourth leader to die in 2012 was Malam Bacai Sanha, the president of Guinea-Bissau. He suffered from diabetes and died in Paris after four years as president at the age of 64. Throughout his time in office, he suffered from several health complications and was continually in and out of the hospital.
Image: dapd
6) Moammar Gadhafi, brotherly leader and guide to the revolution of Libya (2011)
A victim of assassination, Moammar Gadhafi was the self-professed Libyan leader and guide to the revolution. He was killed at the age of 69 by rebel forces in unclear circumstances in Libya, after being its leader for 42 years. He seized power from the Libyan monarchy following a bloodless military coup in 1969 but his leadership came to an end in the aftermath of the "Arab spring" revolution.
Image: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images
7) Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, president of Nigeria (2010)
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the president of Nigeria, died at the age of 58 in 2011 from pericarditis in Nigeria. He had been in office for only three years. His election campaign was punctuated by the absence of the candidate on the campaign trail complete with reports of health-related complications. After his election in April 2007, Yar’Adua’s health deteriorated quickly.
Image: P. U. Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images
8) Joao Bernardo Vieira, president of Guinea-Bissau (2009)
Joao Bernardo Vieira, the president of Guinea-Bissau, was assassinated in his own country in March 2009 at the age of 69. He was the head of state for a combined 31 years. In 1978, he became prime minister and seized power in 1980 and ruled for 19 years. He morphed into a civilian president and led for another four-year period. In 2005, Vieira won another round of presidential elections.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/L. I. Relvas
9) Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (2009)
Advanced intestinal cancer killed Omar Bongo in June 2009 in Barcelona, Spain, after being in office for 42 consecutive years. He died aged 72 and was one of the longest-serving rulers in history and also one of the most corrupt. Bongo collected immense private wealth while his country lived in poverty despite Gabon’s huge revenue earnings from its extensive oil deposits.
Image: AP
10) Lansana Conte, president of Guinea (2008)
After 24 years, Lansana Conte died of undisclosed illness at the age of 74. He battled complications from diabetes and heart-related conditions. From April 1984 until his death in December 2008, he served as the second president of the country. Despite his health issues for which he constantly sought medical treatment abroad, he won three elections.
