After 20 years in power, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika quit on April 2 under pressure from protesters and the army, but demonstrators are pushing for radical change. Authorities have postponed a presidential election initially planned for Thursday, extending a transition period led by Bensalah as upper house head according to the constitution. In a televised speech, Bensalah said a national dialogue should be launched to decide on how to hold presidential elections, without setting a date. "The dialogue will focus on the strategic goal...the organization of elections," he said. He also called for the prosecution of officials accused of corruption, sparking arrests of former allies of Bouteflika.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 03, 2019 20:48 UTC