By RFIPosted on 02-03-2019Modified on 02-03-2019 at 18:29

In the wake of the massive protests against his candidacy for a fifth term at the head of Algeria, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika dismissed his campaign director, his former Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, on Saturday, March 2, according to information from the agency. official Algerian APS.

As soon as sacked, immediately replaced. Abdelmalek Sellal, former prime minister and campaign director of Abdelaziz Bouteflika since 2004, had led three successful campaigns with the Algerian president in 2004, 2009 and 2014. Today is the current Minister of Transport, Abdelghani Zaalene, who takes his place.

For now, the head of state's relatives have made no comment to explain the reasons for this change, but he intervenes in the wake of massive demonstrations across the country against a fifth term of hospitalized Abdelaziz Bouteflika since six days in Switzerland and today celebrates its 82 years.

It's hard to know if Friday's exceptional mobilization can change the game. But all week, the presidential camp reaffirmed that the challenge would not prevent the ballot from being held on time and that the candidacy of the head of state would be given to the Constitutional Council this Sunday, March 3, deadline for file the candidacy files for the presidential election of April 18th.

Faced with Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the opposition remains inaudible and absent. For the time being, only two unknown candidates have submitted their applications. Today, the Algerian Workers Party, a small far-left party, has announced that it will not present a candidate, and the MSP, the main Islamist party, a member until 2012 of the presidential alliance indicates that he does not exclude renouncing participation.

    On the same subject

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    Bouteflika's candidacy: the prime minister sends the demonstrators to the polls

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