For nearly a month now, hundreds of thousands of Algerians have rallied in cities across the country, calling for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down.
Bowing to public pressure, it seems he may have given in to some of their demands.
Protesters, however, want Bouteflika and members of his inner circle to resign immediately.
The Algerian President may have survived the 2011 Arab Spring that toppled other Arab leaders.
But with a souring economy and a youth hungry for change, the sentiment on the street is that Bouteflika hasn’t done enough to placate his own people, as Algerians continue to march towards a new future.
To discuss:
- Francis Ghiles is senior research fellow at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs
- Youcef Bouandel is a professor of Political Science and International Affairs at Qatar University
- Mohamed Kirat is professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at Doha University
- Yasmina Allouche is a journalist specializing in North Africa
For More:
New Algerian group urges Bouteflika to step down, and army not to interfere https://t.co/R5ee28X967 pic.twitter.com/PH596zZ2rd
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 19, 2019
#Algeria Ruling Party, Military Abandon #Bouteflika https://t.co/fDMyiIvcBc pic.twitter.com/jpl2B0WgKZ
— Asharq Al-Awsat English (@aawsat_eng) March 20, 2019
Protests continue in Algerian capital Algiers to demand President Bouteflika step down pic.twitter.com/lFC8BDtGjU
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) March 19, 2019