Algeria‘s presidential message that Bouteflika is pulling out from the presidential race is 3/4th victory for protesters, one fourth no so. Bouteflika says he will not run and elections are postponed, but no other person has been appointed to manage the transition. So let’s not call that a full surrender, because the absentee landlord will still have the key. Bouteflika, in a message carried by national news agency APS, said the presidential poll would follow a national conference on political and constitutional reform to be carried out by the end of 2019. Demonstrations against his bid for another fifth term in office have brought tens of thousands of protesters onto Algeria’s streets.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 11, 2019 18:22 UTC