(FILE) - Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika gestures during the commemorations of the 67th anniversary of the Setif massacre, in Setif, 300 km south Algiers, Algeria, 08 May 2012 (reissued 02 April 2019). According to official media reports late 02 April 2019, Bouteflika has announced his resignation. after weeks of popular mobilisation against his rule and his intention to run for a fifth term in the upcoming presidential elections. Mr. Bouteflika withdrew from running for a new term but canceled Algeria's presidential election, which had been set for April 18. EPA-EFE/MOHAMED MESSARA Bouteflika’s move thrusts the OPEC member into uncharted territory. It is not clear if his resignation would be enough to assuage demonstrators whose demands have grown to encompass the removal of the entire ruling elite.
The announcement appeared aimed at avoiding an ignominious end for the former independence war hero, after the army rejected on Tuesday his promise to step aside before the end of his fourth term on April 28, saying it was time to invoke constitutional articles that would see the 82-year-old declared unfit for office.
“Bouteflika officially notified the president of the constitutional council of his decision to end his mandate as president of the republic,” the official APS news agency reported.
Once a close ally of Bouteflika, army chief of staff Ahmed Gaid Salah first broached the possibility of impeachment last week. On Tuesday, he released a clear statement saying the army’s proposal had been met with foot-dragging and deceit.
Algeria’s President Promises to Resign, and to Leave His Mark
The drama unfolding in Europe’s third-largest gas supplier is being closely watched across the Mediterranean. Under Bouteflika, the OPEC member has been a bulwark against Islamist militancy and illegal migration. Unrest in Algeria could ricochet far beyond its borders.
The upheaval began when Bouteflika, incapacitated by a stroke in 2013 and rarely seen in public since, announced a bid to run for a fifth term in office in the face of popular opposition.
He quickly backtracked on his re-election plan but pledged to stay in office to shepherd the country through a transition that would include drafting a new constitution. His proposal was rejected on the streets, where protesters began to call for the removal of the entire political elite that has ruled the country for decades.
The tide turned against him when the army announced it was standing with the people and it was time to end Bouteflika’s rule. Under the constitution, the president of the senate takes over in the interim.
But divisions in the ruling elite have only deepened during weeks of protest and it was not clear who the ruling FLN party might nominate to replace Bouteflika or when fresh elections would take place.
On the streets, protesters have steadily rejected one concession after another and are now demanding the removal of “le pouvoir,” a loosely defined ruling elite comprising of military officials, FLN leaders and top businessmen. DM