Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned after weeks of massive streets protests. Mr Bouteflika, who has been in power for 20 years, had already dropped plans to seek a fifth term as opposition to his rule grew.
The powerful Algerian army had called for the 82-year-old to be declared incapable of carrying out his duties. The ailing leader suffered a stroke six years ago and has rarely appeared in public since BBC reported.
He made a rare appearance on state TV to relinquish power hours after military chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah had called on him to leave office immediately.
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Car horns could be heard in the streets of the capital, Algiers, as hundreds celebrated the announcement. People waved Algeria’s national flags and sang.
One man, Selmaoui Seddik, told Reuters: “God willing, we will have a 100 per cent democratic transition, this is very important. We need to remove the whole previous regime and that is the hardest thing.”
