Mångmiljonstaden Algae on the night of Wednesday: the streets are filled with jubilant people reached by the news that the most ordinary the president of the republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, will step down immediately. Bilaten honks, green-red-and-white algerian flags flutter.
But the day after the celebration begins the seriousness. The big question of course is: who will take over after Bouteflika? Will the inner circle around the president, who in practice ruled Algeria, to maintain their grip on power?
should the presidential elections be held within 90 days. Meanwhile, Algeria will be governed by the president of the parliament’s first chamber. He named Abdelkader Bensalah, and is a long standing workhorse in the power apparatus. The 76-year-old Bensalah has in recent years assumed many of the president Bouteflikas duties when he has been too sick and weak, as to accept the foreign state.
Abdelkader Bensalah Photo: Fethi Belaid/AP
But Bensalah is likely for a close fit with Bouteflika in order to be considered as the new president. It also applies to the retiring president’s brother, the 61-year-old Said Bouteflika. He has been an advisor to Abdelaziz Bouteflika of algeria during all his time as president. His brother has previously been mentioned as a possible leader, but in the past few weeks the protests have familial relationship with the ex-president has become a load for Said Bouteflika.
feel called, but that hardly has the young protesters ‘ support is Ahmed Gaid Salah, chief of staff and the person who operated in the scenes before the Bouteflikas departure. It was Gaid Salah on Tuesday night announced that the president left his post. But the 79-year-old army chief is not a credible option as the president in the actions of the protesters eyes.
Ahmed Gaid Salah Photo: Ryad Kramdi/AF
Ali Benflis is another veteran with presidentambitioner. The 74-year-old Benflis was previously one of president Bouteflikas protégés, among other things, he was the prime minister between the years 2000 and 2003. But when Benflis revealed his thoughts on the successor to Bouteflika as president, he ended up in disgrace and was kicked. Since then he has challenged Bouteflika in two presidential elections. Not Benflis can be said to represent the young gatuoppositionen.
a 75-year-old diplomat and former foreign minister who has good international reputation after several profiled permanent representative in the UN, including in Syria and in Afghanistan. But neither Brahimi can be said to be the healthy fan as the disaffected algerian youth are calling for. In addition, he is old friends with president Bouteflika.
Abderrazak Makri Photo: Billal Bensalem
Abderrazak Makri, the leader of the moderate islamistpartiet the Movement for a peaceful society (MSP), has already declared that he will set it up in an upcoming presidential election. But it is not considered likely that the 58-year-old doctor Makri can be a unifying name for the opposition. His party is also accused of a more islamist agenda than what the party presents.
the 64-year-old human rights lawyer, Mustapha Bouchachi frequently spoken in the opposition’s name. He represents an uncompromising faction that wants to clear all the Bouteflikas the treaty and start all over again. But it is unclear whether Bouchachi has presidentamibitioner for their own part.
– Since president Bouteflika suppressed all opposition, either by bribing them or chase them out of the country, it will be a major challenge for Algeria to carry out a transfer of power, which satisfies all parties, ” says Francis Ghiles, an expert on algerian politics at the research institute CIDOB in Barcelona.
