Algiers: Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika yesterdaypledged constitutional changes if he wins re-election next month, while a rival for the presidency vowed consensual reforms if elected as campaigning got underway.
Bouteflika’s campaign chief Abdelmalek Sellal promised changes to the national charter that would create a “broad democracy” if the ailing incumbent wins the April 17 vote. Sellal, a former prime minister, gave scant details of the changes as he opened the campaign with a speech in the southern desert town of Adrar.
Bouteflika’s decision to seek re-election despite a mini-stroke, which confined him to hospital in Paris for three months, has drawn heavy criticism not only in opposition ranks but also from some within the regime.
