Algerians demonstrate against presidency election delay

By Hassan Jebrel</p> <p>ALGIERS (AA) – Algerians staged demonstrations in several parts of the country on Friday to protest President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision this week to postpone presidential elections.</p> <p>On Monday, Bouteflika announced, following weeks of popular protests, that presidential elections — originally slated for April 18 — would be postponed to a later date, yet to be decided. </p> <p>The 82-year-old leader also announced his decision to refrain from running in the upcoming poll, saying the move reflected “the will of the people”.</p> <p>Bouteflika further vowed to form a new government and convene a conference devoted to “national dialogue”. </p> <p>Mauritania’s opposition, however, has cried foul, viewing the move as a surreptitious attempt by the ruling National Liberation Front to prolong Bouteflika’s fourth term in office.</p> <p>Demonstrations in capital Algiers, in which hundreds of protesters chanted anti-Bouteflika slogans, brought traffic to a standstill on Friday, according to witnesses.</p> <p>Protesters also condemned French President Emmanuel Macron, who on Tuesday hailed Bouteflika’s decision not to stand for a fifth term, calling for a “transitional period of reasonable duration”.</p> <p>Activists have shared video footage online purporting to show anti-Bouteflika demonstrations in Algeria’s Bejaia and Bouira provinces east of the capital.</p> <p>And for the third week in a row, the Algerian authorities suspended mass transport in and around Algiers in hopes of damping down Friday’s protests.</p> <p>Last month, the ruling party nominated Bouteflika, who has ruled Algeria since 1999, to run for a fifth term in office, sparking mass demonstrations. </p> <p>Earlier this week, Bouteflika indefinitely postponed the election and withdrew his candidacy.