Hundreds of members of Montreal’s Algerian community were in the streets on Sunday to protest that country’s long time president.
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been in power since 1999. The 82-year-old was expected to file papers announcing his candidacy for a fifth term on Sunday, sparking student demonstrations in the capitol city of Algiers and in other areas.
In Montreal, protesters said Algerians want an end to an administration they said has been highly secretive and unconstitutional.
“For 20 years, they kept silent because they don’t want it to be like Syria or Libya. Now, Algerians want to say enough is enough,” said Hamza Bendaoudi. “It’s not just because he’s old. If he’s old and is in good health, that’s possible. But he’s very sick, he can’t speak at all and he hasn’t spoken to his people since 2012. He’s completely absent.”
Elevated security measures were in place in Algeria's capital and especially around the constitutional Council. Sunday is the deadline for candidates to the April 18 presidential election to file their documents.
Images of students marching and chanting anti-government slogans appeared on social media.
Bouteflika, who turned 82 on Saturday, underwent medical checks in Switzerland last week. Neither the government nor news media reported if he was back in Algeria.
In France, hundreds of people from the European country's Algerian community also rallied Sunday in Paris and in the southern city of Marseille to oppose Bouteflika remaining in office.
Bouteflika's major opponent during the 2004 and 2014 presidential elections, former Prime Minister Ali Benflis, announced Sunday that he would not challenge the incumbent this year.
Benflis said central committee of his party, Talaie El Houriat, Arabic for "Vanguard of Freedoms,” decided not to field a candidate so as "not to serve as a pretext for the candidacy of the sick president."
The head of the moderate Islamist party MSP, Abderrazak Makri, also has ruled out running.
