By Jude Nazeer
ALGIERS, March 12 (SEE) - In another twist in the Algerian politics, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, faced with numerous demonstrations against his re-election in the April elections, decided not to run for presidential elections.
The announcement, made by Abdelghani Zaalane on behalf of Bouteflika, revealed that the president had promised to hold early elections, which will be held in one year according to Ennahar TV.
These comments should be seen as an attempt to appease those who have been on the street for 10 days in protest against the 82-year-old man's plan to stay in office.
But hours after the announcement, new anti-government protests erupted late into the night in the capital and other cities, attracting thousands of people, according to witnesses and television footage.
Hundreds of people, mainly of young age, marched through central Algiers where riot police were blocking some roads. The demonstrations, however, seemed essentially peaceful.
Bouteflika's statement is the first since the demonstrations that erupted 10 days ago; the most important movement of mood in Algeria since the uprisings of the Arab Spring of 2011 that overthrew the leaders of neighboring countries.
Just before Bouteflika's announcement, the chairman of the electoral commission, Abdelwahab Derbal, said that all candidates had to submit their application in person. If this were applied, it would mean that Bouteflika could not run because according to Swiss television, the president would still be in a hospital in Geneva.
Bouteflika's opponents say he is no longer able to lead, citing his health and what they call chronic corruption and a lack of economic reforms to fight the high unemployment rate —higher than 25% among the least 30 years old.
According to analysts, protesters lack leadership and organization in a country still dominated by veterans of the 1954-1962 war of independence against France, including Bouteflika.
Last week, seven candidates had registered to run against Bouteflika. Opposition groups have failed to agree on one candidate, making the entire campaign a daunting challenge in a party-dominated country, the FLN, since independence.
Many Algerians have avoided public political activities for years, fearing trouble with the ubiquitous state security apparatus.
After the ten years of Islamist insurgency that Bouteflika crushed at the beginning of his reign, Algerians have generally tolerated a political system that leaves little room for dissent as a price to pay for relative peace and stability.
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