Algeria army chief demands Bouteflika be declared unfit to rule

Algeria’s army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah has asked for the presidency to be vacated, Ennahar TV reported, saying he considered the people’s demands are valid following a month of mass protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Based on the constitution, the upper house chairman Abdelkader Bensalah will be caretaker for at least 45 days, the Algerian TV station said.

“We must adopt a solution that helps us out of this crisis … a solution that respects and adheres to the constitution so that it’s a suitable one for all sides,” Salah said in remarks carried on Algerian television.

“This solution is stipulated in article 102 of the constitution,” he said.

The powerful army chief wants to trigger the constitutional process that would declare ailing Bouteflika unfit for office. He said in a televised speech that the solution to the ongoing political crisis is to apply Article 102 of the Algerian Constitution.

Under that article, the Constitutional Council could determine that the president is too ill to fully exercise his functions, and ask the parliament to declare him unfit.

The army chief is among the top power brokers in Algeria, and his announcement could pave the way for Bouteflika’s ouster.

The move comes a day after the country’s ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) withdrew its support for Bouteflika’s proposal to hold a national dialogue conference aimed at getting the country out of the current political deadlock.

Hundreds of thousands of Algerians have been taking part in nationwide protests against Bouteflika’s re-election bid since February 22.

Amid growing pressure, Bouteflika on March 11 abandoned his plan to seek a fifth term at the helm of Algeria, a key oil producer.

But while the announcement was initially greeted with instant celebrations, the joy proved to be short-lived as the ailing 82-year-old, who suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013, stated that he would remain in office until a successor was elected.

This prompted critics to accuse the octogenarian of attempting to illegally extend his 20-year-rule.

More soon… 

Read More



from Trendy News Update https://ift.tt/2YpFtsg

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 things you need to know before the opening bell

Image
Here is what you need to know. Things are looking up for China’s manufacturing sector . “China’s manufacturing sector finished the opening quarter of 2019 on a positive note, with operating conditions improving for the first time since last November,” IHS Markit said in a report released Monday. “Firms signalled slightly quicker rises in output and overall new work, while employment increased for the first time in over five years.” China is using debt to control the South China Sea .  China’s One Belt One Road project and the massive infrastructure loans associated with it are helping to weaken opposition to its claims in the South China Sea. Japan announces the name of the era under the new emperor .  Naruhito will become the Japanese emperor on May 1, beginning the “Reiwa” era. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a fan of MMT — here’s what it is . Modern Monetary Theory says governments who create their own money can spend freely because they can always print more money to pay off t
Read more

The Walking Dead finale recap: A flicker of hope predicts big things ahead

The storm is here. The Kingdom is barren as snow begins to fall on the once thriving settlement. The fair is over, but the promised trade didn’t bring what many hoped. Their pipes still burst, the rot still spread, and this home, this beacon for so many who sought shelter from the cold apocalyptic wasteland, became untenable. So now, the King and Queen, still carrying the grief of losing their son, must now carry their people to Hilltop as a harsh blizzard descends upon them and the Whisperers still lurk in their periphery. But, once the storm passes and their friends on the hill open up their gates, it all seems like a blip on the timeline. We’re left with both hope and a promise of much bigger things to come. In the final moments before the credits roll, that radio Eugene, Rosita, and Gabriel have been tinkering with since the time jump, their initial mission that first put everyone on the warpath with the Whisperers, finally fulfilled its purpose. When the blizzard came, the power
Read more