Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Tens of thousands of people took to the street of Algeria to launch a fresh protest again after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika offered to serve only one-year if re-elected in April’s election in order to appease demonstrations by the public against his bid for the fifth term in power.

According to Al-Jazeera news reports, shortly after president’s campaign manager formalized Bouteflika’s candidacy, the president vowed to organize an inclusive national conference which mounts to set a final date and prepare for new election polls which the president would not run, state-run TV read out in a letter on Sunday.

In the statement, which has come in response to the mass protests against Bouteflika, the president also vowed to create economic opportunities for citizens and redistribution of oil-producing nation’s wealth.

Thousands more staged new anti-government protests on Monday in the capital and other cities, including Oran, Constantine and Bouira, according to witnesses and local TV footage.

Secular opposition party, Rally for Democracy and Culture (RDC) deputy head Reda Boudraa told Al-Jazeera, “These demonstrations showed that the Algerian population is not naive. We do not believe President Bouteflika when he says that he is ready to step down in the near future. It is a new manoeuvre of the regime to find a way to buy time.”

Member of young generation Walid Hadjadj said, “Bouteflika’s determination to run again despite his fragile health and widespread protestations is political suicide.”

Bouteflika’s offer has been heavily criticised by several opposition parties, some of which are calling for a boycott of the upcoming vote.

 

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