This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
Algeria's interim President Abdelkader Bensalah announced on Sunday that the country will hold a presidential election on December 12, despite ongoing protests demanding the departure of the ruling elite.
The decision comes after weekly mass demonstrations forced veteran president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign in April, leaving Algeria in constitutional limbo and facing a stand-off between protesters and the army-backed government.
“Elections are the only democratic solution to the crisis,” Bensalah said in a televised speech on Sunday, September 15, 2019.
Earlier this year, the authorities had cancelled an election previously planned for July 4, citing a lack of candidates, amid mass protests demanding the departure of the rest of the old guard.
Army chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah has repeatedly called for an election as soon as possible, despite the opposition and protesters rejecting a vote.
As part of efforts to calm demonstrators, the authorities have started the prosecution of Bouteflika’s allies for suspected involvement in corruption cases.
