Algeria army urges removal of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Algeria’s army chief of staff has demanded President Abdelaziz Bouteflika be declared unfit to rule after weeks of protests against him.

Speaking on state television, Lt Gen Ahmed Gaed Salah said: “We must find a way out of this crisis immediately, within the constitutional framework.”

The president has already agreed not to stand for a fifth term in upcoming elections, which have been delayed.

Demonstrators accuse the 82-year-old of a ploy to prolong his 20-year rule.

Talks have been set up to oversee the country’s political transition, draft a new constitution and set the date for elections. But they do not yet have a date to start.

Protests against Mr Bouteflika began last month after the president, who has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, said he planned to stand for another term.

But people have continued to march even after he agreed not to stand, instead demanding immediate change.

Lt Gen Gaed Salah – who is also deputy defence minister and seen as loyal to Mr Bouteflika – has previously said the military and the people had a united vision of the future, hinting at the armed forces’ support for the demonstrators.

What did the army chief say?

Lt Gen Gaed Salah said the constitution was “the only guarantee to preserve a stable political situation”, and called for the use of Article 102, which allows the Constitutional Council to declare the position of president vacant if the leader is unfit to rule.

“This solution achieves consensus and must be accepted by all,” he said to the applause of officers watching the speech.

Under the constitution, the head of the Senate, Abdelkhader Bansallah, would become the acting head of state until an election could be held.

The dramatic intervention by the armed forces chief of staff is the latest development after weeks of sustained protest in Algeria.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia announced his resignation and was replaced by Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui.