Protestors in huge numbers gathered in the Algerian capital carrying banners reading “You all go” and “We need new figures” on Friday to demand the removal of the ruling elite. This was the 16th consecutive Friday that protesters gathered on the streets for a mass rally, reported Reuters.
The protests that began in February this year forced long-term President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to quit on April 2 after serving for 20 long years. The protestors now want all of the members of Bouteflika’s administration, who have been accused of engaging in corrupt practices at several instances, to step down.
The list includes the names of Algeria’s interim president Abdelkader Bensalah, Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui, Army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, and other politicians and businessmen, who have governed the North African country since independence from France in 1962.
Bensalah was elected as the interim president by the parliament for 90 days until elections planned for July 4. But Algeria’s constitutional council on Sunday called off the vote citing a lack of candidates. With no new date set for the elections, the council has suggested Bensalah’s mandate be extended. The 77-year-old politician on Thursday called for inclusive dialogue to prepare for an election.
The protesters also want the government to launch anti-graft probes against people suspected of misuse of power and public funds.
Last month, a military judge placed Bouteflika’s youngest brother, Said, and two former intelligence chiefs in custody over allegations of “harming the army’s authority and plotting against state authority”. At least five businessmen, including Algeria’s richest man, Issad Rebrab, have been detained for alleged involvement in corruption scandals.
