Saturday, April 6, 2019

Algerians not satisfied with departure of Bouteflika, demand overhaul of the system


Also in other cities than Algiers people demonstrated. This is a picture from Sétif (Le Matin d'Algérie)

The Algerians are not satisfied with the demise of president Bouteflika who tendered his resignation onTuesday. It was not a suprsie that they once again took to the streets in big numbers this Friday to demand an overhaul of the political system after the president of 20 years had left office.
Tens of thousands of people massed in the capital, Algiers, and marched towards the central post office, a symbol of the peaceful widespread protests that began on February 22 in response to 82-year-old Bouteflika's bid to seek a fifth term in now-cancelled elections.
Security was higher than usual, with roadblocks preventing buses of protesters from entering the city. One group of demonstrators from the Kabylie region east of Algiers walked 20km after its bus was stopped at a roadblock.
It was the seventh straight Friday of protests against a leadership the demonstrators perceive as corrupt and repressive but the first since the ailing Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday.The demonstrators now want the departure of key allies of Bouteflika, including the men who head Algeria's three branches of power: the prime minister, chief of the upper house of parliament and the president of the constitutional court. "The people want them all to leave," protesters chanted. Some brandished signs calling for the exit of "the three Bs"- Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui, Constitutional Council President Tayeb Belaiz, and upper house of parliament President Abdelkader Bensalah.

Meanwhile, Algerian media reported that Athmane Tartag, the country's director of the intelligence service, has left his post amid conflicting reports about whether he resigned or was dismissed.
The local al-Khabar paper reported that the intelligence chief handed in his resignation hours before Bouteflika stepped down. However, Algeria's private Ennahar satellite channel reported that Tartag was sacked on Friday.

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