Algiers, April 9, 2019 – By Claire Doyen – Algerian lawmakers appointed a regime stalwart as interim president Tuesday, dismaying protesters seeking sweeping change after the resignation of Abdelaziz Bouteflika who ruled the country for two decades. The selection of upper house speaker Abdelkader Bensalah as Algeria’s first new president in 20 years followed constitutional rules but went against the demands of demonstrators pushing for him and other top politicians to stand down.
Bensalah, a trusted ally of Bouteflika, later pledged to organise a “transparent” presidential election within 90 days as laid out by the constitution. “We — citizens, the political class and state institutions — must work to ensure the conditions, all conditions, are right for a transparent and regular presidential poll,” Bensalah, 77, said in a televised address. Opposition parties refused to back the appointment of the establishment
Facing endemic unemployment, young Algerians hope the protest movement can ultimately improve their prospects. “It must change. Today, young people in Algeria are without a future,” said Yassine, a 21-year-old studying technology. Although Bouteflika’s resignation was celebrated by demonstrators, they have remained firm in pushing for a wider overhaul of the political system. Rabea, a physics teacher, said the country’s youth are “the wealth of Algeria”. “It’s them who will make the future of the country, they must be listened to,” she said.
by AFP
