Algeria’s army chief demands Bouteflika be declared unfit for office
The stakes are high — Algeria is a leading member of Opec and a top gas supplier to Europe
Algiers — Algeria’s army chief of staff called on Tuesday for a constitutional move that would see President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika declared unfit for office, in a rare direct intervention by the military after weeks of protests. Hundreds of thousands have hit the streets to demand an end to the 20-year rule of the ailing 82-year-old president, part of an ageing and secretive elite entrenched in power since independence from France in 1962. While the military praised the demonstrators, it warned that chaos would not be tolerated. Lt-Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah, addressing army officers in a speech broadcast on two private Algerian TV stations, called for a unified stand to resolve the crisis in the sprawling North African state, a major oil and gas exporter. Salah said the solution would be based on article 102 of the constitution and achieve a consensus of “all visions and parties”. That article applies under certain conditions, such as deteriorating health. Bouteflika has rarely surfaced ...
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