afrol News, 11 February - Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika will be contesting in the April elections, ruling National Liberation Front (FLN), secretary general, Abdelaziz Belkhadem has announced. President Bouteflika is expected to announce his candidacy on Thursday.

However, the country's opposition has denounced Mr Bouteflika eagerness to run for the third term saying his hunger for power will sink the country's economy.

Algeria parliament last November endorsed a constitutional amendment to end presidential term limits, a move that paved way for president Bouteflika to run for a third term in the general elections.

A joint sitting of Algerian national assembly and senate had voted 500 out of 529 to adopt five changes to the constitution. Twenty-eight voted against the changes, while one person abstained.

Reports said of the 18 people who have taken out paperwork to run for office, only one, Algerian National Front leader Moussa Touati is reported to have gathered the necessary signatures to run for president.

Other prominent opposition parties are reported to have signaled their withdrawal in the presidential race, including the leader of the country's Islamist movement, Abdallah Djaballah.

Supporters of Mr Bouteflika have argued that he is best placed to continue to rebuild Algeria, which suffered a civil war in 1990s that claimed lives of more than 150,000 people during the conflict.

The 71-year-old president, a veteran of Algerian politics was first elected in 1999. He has overseen a return to relative peace, though there has been a series of suicide bombings over last two years blamed on militants linked to al-Qaeda.

Algeria is a major producer of oil and gas and has launched an ambitious economic development programme using profits from sale of hydrocarbons.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories