ALGIERS - Algeria's army chief called Tuesday for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to be declared unfit to govern, following weeks of mass protests demanding the ailing leader step down. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013The move would potentially clear the way for elections to be organised in the coming months unless the president recovers. The 82-year-old leader uses a wheelchair and has rarely appeared in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. Bouteflika said last month he would run for a fifth term in office, despite concerns about his ability to rule, triggering a wave of protests that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets. The army chief's call was welcomed with car horns honking in Algiers.

Source: Bangkok Post March 26, 2019 15:22 UTC