ALGERIAN YOUTH IN THE STREET

AGAINST BOUTEFLIKA

Algerian youth is in the street.

Mass protests took place Friday, higher than last week, throughout the country but the Algerian power remains inflexible.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika must officially apply for a 5th term Sunday.

Although the rallies were generally peaceful, the situation escalated in the evening on the outskirts of the presidential palace in Algiers. The clashes left 56 injured among police and seven among protesters, police said, quoted by national television

Slogans hostile to power have been chanted with shouts of "Power assassin".

The police carried out 45 arrests during the day, including five people who tried to enter the hotel El Djazaïr, said the television, quoting a statement from the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN).

Demonstrations took place in nearly two-thirds of the wilayas (prefectures) in the north of the country, the most populous region. According to security sources, other rallies were held without incident including in Oran and Constantine, second and third cities of the country.

Amnesty International on Thursday urged security forces to "refrain from excessive or unnecessary force to disperse peaceful protesters".

Some observers fear that the support of the Head of State will use the strong way to avoid an election campaign marked by the physical absence of Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Campaign director Abdelmalek Sellal, who had led the three previous successful campaigns (2004, 2009, 2014) of candidate Bouteflika, has been sacked.

He is replaced by the current Minister of Transport, Abdelghani Zaalene, simply indicates the APS.

"His dismissal could be a first response" to the dispute that agitated Algeria for over a week and directly targets Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but it may be a bit short, "commented an observer.