- Political elites’ failure to deescalate protests in Algeria increases the likelihood that the military will declare a state of emergency to end the political crisis.
- Algeria has been a bastion of stability in an extremely unstable neighborhood.
Algeria’s longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said in a letter published on Monday that he will not step down despite mass protests demanding his resignation. Instead the ailing 82-year-old stressed the need to hold a national conference that would pave the way for a new constitution and a new president. Algeria’s newly appointed Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui has started talks to form a new government, which is expected to include technocrats with no political affiliation.
Meanwhile, Algerian Deputy Prime Minister Ramtane Lamamra and Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel arrived in Russia today for a visit. Russia is an important strategic and trade partner for the north African country. Read More
Algeria’s newly appointed Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui has started talks to form a new government, state media reported Sunday. Algiers has vowed that the new Cabinet will include technocrats with no political affiliation and “reflect the demographics of the Algerian society.” The new government is a bid to defuse public anger and curb more than three weeks of mass protests against longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. However, 13 Algerian unions announced today that they will not support Bedoui's efforts after tens of thousands of Algerians on Friday staged the biggest mass protest since the unrest began. Read More aljazeera.com
Algeria's new Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui said Thursday that Algiers will form a new government early next week. The new government is a bid to defuse tensions after demonstrators rejected President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to postpone next month's elections. “This government will have a short period, and its role is to be the support for the national conference and what Algerians agree upon,” Bedoui said, adding that the new Cabinet will include technocrats and young people representing the protest movement. Bouteflika’s office has agreed to draft a new constitution after protesters forced the ailing 82-year-old to drop his bid for a fifth term.
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- Algerian regime elites are attempting to preserve power in the face of widespread popular protests sparked by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s candidacy announcement.
- Algeria neighbors multiple Salafi-jihadi havens, raising the stakes if the elites and protestors can't reach a compromise.
After protesters rejected President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s offer to step down after one year should he be re-elected, his latest announcement that he will extend his fourth term is being met with more anger.
Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced Monday that he would drop his bid for a fifth term in office following weeks of mass protests against his 20-year rule. “My health and my age only permit me to fulfill my last duty toward the Algerian people — [that] is to work on laying the foundations of a new republic,” the ailing 82-year-old president said in a letter. However, he also said he would extend his current term while postponing the elections, which had been planned for April. A new constitution will also be put to a national referendum. Bouteflika said he would conduct a government reshuffle and assigned Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui to form the new Cabinet after Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia resigned. Read More
By BENNY AVNI, Special to the Sun | March 13, 2019
https://www.nysun.com/foreign/next-bloodbath-could-erupt-at-algeria/90608/
Thousands of Algerians poured into the streets Tuesday, and Americans should watch carefully as Arab Spring 2.0 threatens to wreak havoc on North Africa and beyond.
The uprising first erupted three weeks ago, after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his intention to run for re-election on April 18. The 82-year-old has been in power for 20 years, but for a decade Algerians have hardly heard his voice or seen his picture.
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Algeria on Tuesday tasked veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi with chairing a conference on the country’s political future amid mass protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Brahimi will chair a conference with representatives from the protest movement and independence-era war veterans to draft a new constitution and set a date for elections. Bouteflika announced this week that he would not run for a fifth term but postponed next month's poll. Protesters continued to demand his resignation on Tuesday. Read More
Russia is watching widespread Algerian protests with caution, wanting to preserve its assets in the country, as well as its strategic relationship.
• Algeria’s new prime minister has vowed to form an inclusive and technocratic government which involves young Algerians.