Large crowds are gathering in the Algerian capital, Algiers, for yet
another protest against four-term President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
The
demonstrations – now in their third week – were triggered by the ailing
president’s decision to seek re-election for a fifth term in April.
Bouteflika has ruled Algeria for 20 years but has rarely been seen in public since he had a stroke in 2013.
He has warned that the protests could plunge the country into “chaos”.
In
a letter published by Algeria’s official APS news agency on Thursday,
the 82-year-old leader urged “vigilance” against “domestic and foreign”
forces that might infiltrate the demonstrations.
But he also praised the demonstrators for “peacefully expressing their opinions”.
On
Friday, the privately owned Arabic-language news website, El Khabar,
quoted the public transport body for Algiers as saying that all bus,
tram, train and metro services had been suspended ahead of the protests.
According to French broadcaster LCI, anti-riot vehicles, including a water cannon, have been deployed in the city centre.
Demonstrations
have been held in towns and cities across the country for the past
three weeks following the announcement last month that Bouteflika would
seek a fifth term in office.
Bouteflika later released another
letter saying that he would step down early if re-elected – but this has
not quieted the protests.
The president was transferred to a
hospital in Switzerland on 24 February, for what his campaign described
as “routine” medical tests. His campaign manager told El Khabar on
Thursday that his health raised “no concerns”.
A spokesman for the
Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), where Bouteflika is staying, has
been quoted as saying that it had received 1,500 phone calls on Tuesday
after the president’s location was revealed by French television
programme Quotidien.
While most of the calls have reportedly been
enquiring about the president’s health, a number of videos posted to
social media show prank calls from Algerians.
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