The ruling FLN party has ended suspense by naming President Bouteflika as its candidate for a fifth term in April 18 elections. The move comes after parties in the government coalition voiced support for a fifth term of the 81-year old president who has not spoken in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 that confined him to a wheelchair. The decision will further ignite opposition in Algeria where calls for a boycott of sham elections are on the rise. Prime Minister Ouyahya threatened to crackdown on calls for election boycott if the opposition parties resort to mobilizing people on the streets. Keeping Bouteflika in power through elections offers a democratic facade for an opaque regime controlled by powerful generals and wealthy businessmen close to the President.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 09, 2019 16:30 UTC