Maghreb Edition

Algeria: Despite announcing a pull out from presidential race and postponement of elections, Bouteflika is going nowhereF

Posted On 11 March 2019

Number of times this article was read : 339

Algeria‘s presidential message that Bouteflika is pulling out from the presidential race is 3/4th victory for protesters, one fourth no so. Bouteflika says he will not run and elections are postponed, but no other person has been appointed to manage the transition. So let’s not call that a full surrender, because the absentee landlord will still have the key.

Algiers, March 11, 2019 (AFP) – Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his withdrawal Monday from a bid to win another term in office and postponed an April 18 election, following weeks of protests against his
candidacy. Bouteflika, in a message carried by national news agency APS, said the presidential poll would follow a national conference on political and constitutional reform to be carried out by the end of 2019.

The veteran leader, who has been in power since 1999 but whose rare public appearances since a stroke in 2013 have been in a wheelchair, returned Sunday from hospital in Switzerland. Demonstrations against his bid for another fifth term in office have brought tens of thousands of protesters onto Algeria’s streets.

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Egypt’s Summer Blackouts Return as Energy Stress ReappearsF

Egypt is facing another round of summer power disruptions, with prolonged outages reported across several governorates. The latest blackouts revive questions about grid resilience, official readiness, and the country’s recurring energy crisis.

Algeria is Experiencing a Severe Wildfire CrisisF

Algeria has recorded 1,619 fires since a heat wave began July 8, including 538 forest fires and six deaths, with 53 blazes still active as of July 22. Officials are calling the outbreaks “sixth-generation” fires — fast-moving and unusually difficult to control.

Summer in North Africa: Heat, Fire, and Failing Power GridsF

Summer in North Africa: Heat, Fire, and Failing Power GridsF

Extreme heat is gripping Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya at once, with wildfires spreading across Algeria and power grids buckling under demand in Egypt. Regional meteorologists say the pattern reflects a longer-term warming trend rather than a single bad summer.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.