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Abdelaziz Bouteflika: Algerian leader resigns amid protests | Abdelaziz Bouteflika: Algerian leader resigns amid protests |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned after weeks of massive street protests. | |
Mr Bouteflika, who has been in power for 20 years, had already dropped plans to seek a fifth term as opposition to his rule grew. | Mr Bouteflika, who has been in power for 20 years, had already dropped plans to seek a fifth term as opposition to his rule grew. |
The powerful Algerian army had called for the 82-year-old to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties. | The powerful Algerian army had called for the 82-year-old to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties. |
Protesters have vowed to continue piling on pressure until the entire government is ousted. | |
The BBC's Mohamed Arezki Himeur in Algiers says there were huge celebrations in the city, with people shouting, waving the national flag and honking their car horns all night. | |
He says the protesters do not only want Mr Bouteflika to go, but the whole system, in particular the government which was only appointed last weekend. | |
"This is just a little victory - the biggest is still to come," one protester said. | |
Mr Bouteflika, who has been ill since he suffered a stroke six years ago, has avoided public events ever since. | |
However, he made a rare appearance on state TV to relinquish power hours after military chief Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah called on him to leave office immediately. | |
One man, Selmaoui Seddik, told Reuters: "God willing, we will have a 100% democratic transition, this is very important. We need to remove the whole previous regime and that is the hardest thing." | One man, Selmaoui Seddik, told Reuters: "God willing, we will have a 100% democratic transition, this is very important. We need to remove the whole previous regime and that is the hardest thing." |
However, one protest leader, Mustapha Bouchachi, said before the announcement that any decision by Mr Bouteflika to quit would still change nothing and that the protests would continue. | However, one protest leader, Mustapha Bouchachi, said before the announcement that any decision by Mr Bouteflika to quit would still change nothing and that the protests would continue. |
News of the resignation came in a statement carried on state news agency APS. | News of the resignation came in a statement carried on state news agency APS. |
"The president of the republic, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has officially notified the president of the constitutional council of his decision to end his mandate as president of the republic," it said. | "The president of the republic, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, has officially notified the president of the constitutional council of his decision to end his mandate as president of the republic," it said. |
State TV then reported that this would be with immediate effect. | State TV then reported that this would be with immediate effect. |
According to the constitution, the Senate speaker should take over as interim head of state until fresh elections are held. | According to the constitution, the Senate speaker should take over as interim head of state until fresh elections are held. |
How did it come about? | How did it come about? |
Pressure had been building since February, when the first demonstrations were sparked by Mr Bouteflika's announcement that he would be standing for a fifth term. | Pressure had been building since February, when the first demonstrations were sparked by Mr Bouteflika's announcement that he would be standing for a fifth term. |
Tens of thousands protested across the country on 1 March. Mr Bouteflika's promise not to serve out a fifth term if re-elected, along with a change of prime minister, failed to quell the discontent. | Tens of thousands protested across the country on 1 March. Mr Bouteflika's promise not to serve out a fifth term if re-elected, along with a change of prime minister, failed to quell the discontent. |
Leaders of the protests also rejected Mr Bouteflika's offer this week that he would go by the end of his current term - 28 April - as not quick enough. | Leaders of the protests also rejected Mr Bouteflika's offer this week that he would go by the end of his current term - 28 April - as not quick enough. |
It seems the powerful military agreed. Its chief, Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah, said earlier on Tuesday: "There is no more room to waste time." | It seems the powerful military agreed. Its chief, Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah, said earlier on Tuesday: "There is no more room to waste time." |
What next? | What next? |
The demonstrations have also called for the whole political system, in which the military plays a significant role, to be overhauled. | The demonstrations have also called for the whole political system, in which the military plays a significant role, to be overhauled. |
Many of the protesters are young and say they want a new system of government. | Many of the protesters are young and say they want a new system of government. |
There were accusations that Mr Bouteflika was being used as a front by "le pouvoir" - a group of businessmen, politicians and military officials - to retain their power. | There were accusations that Mr Bouteflika was being used as a front by "le pouvoir" - a group of businessmen, politicians and military officials - to retain their power. |
Elections originally scheduled for 18 April were postponed and the governing National Liberation Front (FLN) vowed to organise a national conference on reforms. | Elections originally scheduled for 18 April were postponed and the governing National Liberation Front (FLN) vowed to organise a national conference on reforms. |
The FLN has ruled Algeria since the country won independence from France in 1962 after seven years of conflict. | The FLN has ruled Algeria since the country won independence from France in 1962 after seven years of conflict. |
Mr Bouteflika, who came to power in 1999, strengthened his grip after a bloody civil war against Islamist insurgents which left 150,000 dead. | Mr Bouteflika, who came to power in 1999, strengthened his grip after a bloody civil war against Islamist insurgents which left 150,000 dead. |
The chairman of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah, is expected to become caretaker president for three months until elections. | The chairman of the upper house of parliament, Abdelkader Bensalah, is expected to become caretaker president for three months until elections. |
Mr Bensalah has been in post since 2002 and has represented Mr Bouteflika at official visits and events. | |
He also shares a similar background with the president, growing up in neighbouring Morocco before returning to fight in the liberation war. | |
Who is Bouteflika? | |
He is a veteran of Algeria's war of independence who served as foreign minister for more than a decade before becoming president in 1999. | |
His primary task was to rebuild the country, and its economy - but first, he needed to end Algeria's brutal civil war sparked by the military's refusal to recognise the election victory of the Islamic Salvation Front in the early 1990s. | |
Despite guaranteeing stability in the oil-rich nation, his government has been accused of widespread corruption and state repression. | |
The man who once said he would not accept being "three-quarters a president" spent his last years in a wheelchair after a stroke in 2013, rarely appearing in public, and fuelling fierce debate over who was really in charge, the BBC's North Africa correspondent, Rana Jawad, says. | |
Revolutionaries praise him for welcoming Che Guevara to Algeria, and giving a young Nelson Mandela his first military training. |