Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi Monday brought support to protests in Algeria against the candidacy of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for a fifth mandate. Thousands of Algerians have been demonstrating across various provinces and in some European capitals against the candidacy of 82-year old Bouteflika for a fifth term in office. Obviously it is free to express the way it wants on how it is being led,” Essebsi said in answer to a question on the protests in Algeria. The Tunisian leader is the first world leader to take a stand on the political situation in the neighboring country, which managed to survive the Arab Spring. Essebsi came to power in 2014, three years after the Tunisian revolution that swept away the autocratic Tunisian President Zedine Ben Ali.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 26, 2019 15:33 UTC