Algerian president says he will not run again after weeks of protests
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/algerian-president-says-he-will-not-run-again-after-weeks-of-protests
The Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has withdrawn his bid for a fifth term in office after mass protests against his rule and postponed elections scheduled for April to allow for consultation on reforms “for a new generation”.
Bouteflika made the surprise announcement on Monday in a letter to the Algerian people released by his office. The 82-year-old leader, who has been in power for two decades, acknowledged three consecutive weeks of demonstrations against his rule in which hundreds of thousands of people from across Algerian society took to the streets.
“I understand the motivations of the many people who chose this method of expression,” Bouteflika said in the letter, praising the peaceful nature of the protests before promising sweeping constitutional and political changes.
“This new system and new republic will be in the hands of a new generation of Algerians,” he said, promising a national conference lasting until the end of this year to find his successor.