Continental Focus, International Reach

Military General Calls for Bouteflika to be Declared Unfit

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, Algeria’s army chief of staff, has called for President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika to be declared unfit for office. Salah, addressing army officers in a speech broadcast on state TV, called for a united stand in an effort to defuse tensions in the country.

The Algerian constitution has a clause that can be enacted when the leader is considered “unfit.” The Army Chief of Staff said the solution would be based on Article 102 of the constitution which applies under certain conditions, such as deteriorating health. However, for the constitutional council to formally declare Bouteflika unfit for office, Algeria’s upper and lower parliament need to ratify it with a two-thirds majority.

Once ratified, Algeria’s chairman of parliament’s upper house, Abdelkader Bensalah, would serve as caretaker president.


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