Activists and opposition figures have told the army not to interfere in the people’s choice, which is for president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his inner circle to step down.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has ruled for 20 years, bowed to protesters last week by withdrawing his bid for a fifth term in office.
Bouteflika, agreed to hand over power to an elected president, and the opposition will be allowed to take part in the cabinet that will oversee elections.
But he stopped short of stepping down immediately and says he would stay in office until a new constitution is adopted, effectively extending his present term.
These assurances did little to dissuade protesters from taking to the streets, seeking an immediate response, which they say is the 82-year-old’s resignation.
His moves have done nothing to halt nearly a month of demonstrations on the streets of Algiers by thousands of students, university professors and health workers.
For now, Algeria’s invisible ruler is still in office, and his indefinite postponement of next month’s election suggests he may not be going anywhere soon.
