Algerian leader steps down amid protests
ALgIeRs: Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down after 20 years in office, and six weeks of massive nationwide protests aimed at pushing him and his much-criticised inner circle from power to create a real democracy in the gas-rich nation.
The announcement followed soon after a sternly-worded call from the powerful army chief for Bouteflika, 82 and ailing, to “immediately” bow out.
Crowds celebrated peacefully in the capital Algiers soon after his announcement. Honking car horns, singing songs and waving Algerian flags, hundreds gathered on Tuesday night at the central post office – a plaza that has become a symbol of the protest movement. Police watched from the sidelines.
The Constitutional Council was expected to convene yesterday to formalise his departure.
Under the constitution, the president of the upper house, the Council of Nations, steps in as interim leader for a maximum of 90 days so that elections can be organised.
An official in the president’s office said that Bouteflika had resigned, and the official APS news agency said in a full-page headline that Bouteflika had notified the Constitutional Council of his decision.
The move came a day after Bouteflika’s office said he would leave by April 28, the official end of his fourth mandate – but only after “important” changes were made to ensure institutional continuity.
That gave rise to fears that his entourage would do all to preserve the interests of those who profited from his time in office.