The long-serving president of Algeria was today reported to have left a Paris hospital to convalesce in the city — easing fears of political turmoil if he did not return.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, arrived in Paris last month after apparently suffering a stroke. Fears over his condition, and reports that he was in a coma, had brought calls for Article 88 of the Algerian constitution to be invoked, allowing power to be transferred to the senate if the head of state is ill.
Opposition leader Ali Yahia Abdennour called on him to retire, saying it was “essential” for his 14 years in power to come to an end. Tahar Benbaibeche, of the opposition El-Fadjr el-Jadid party, said Algeria was facing unprecedented turmoil.
Mr Benbaibeche said: “The absence of the president of the republic has caused paralysis among the ruling institutions. Parliament, with its two chambers, is no longer functioning.”
But prime minister Abdelmalek Sellal said: “He was never in danger and his health is improving.” Algeria is the largest state in Africa and its stability is viewed as crucial as Western forces join the fight against Islamist terrorism in countries such as Mali and Libya.
