President of Algeria’s parliament resigns
Moad Bouchareb on Tuesday resigned as the president of Algeria’s parliament following prolonged protests against him, local Annahar TV reports.
Bouchareb quit his position three months after long-serving president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned, also after persistent anti-government demonstrations.
The country was due to hold a presidential election on 4 July, but it was postponed indefinitely as no candidates declared their intents to run.
“Bouchareb has resigned as the boss of parliament, he will be replaced by a caretaker before a new one is named,” Reuters quotes a parliamentary source. The source said Terbech Abderazak, a member of parliament, would take over the job temporarily.
Even after Bouteflika resigned from the presidency on 2 April, public pressure has continued with demands for the departure and prosecution of the people who served under him.
Bouchareb is a former head of the National Liberation Front (FLN) party, which has ruled Algeria since independence from France in 1962. Bouchareb was replaced as FLN leader in May.
Bouteflika ruled the north African nation for nearly 20 years, and had declared an intent to seek re-election this year.
The 82-year-old suffered a stroke in 2013, and was rarely seen in public thereafter.