Hundreds of students took to the streets of Algiers Sunday to denounce President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term as he prepared to submit the required documents to be on the ballot.
About 10 vans transported Bouteflika's documents to the Constitutional Council, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. Bouteflika's campaign chief, Abdelghani Zaalane, was expected to file the president's candidacy papers before making a press statement later Sunday.
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.
Demonstrators stage a protest to denounce President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, in Marseille, southern France, Sunday, March 3, 2019. Algeria's Constitutional Council has been placed under high security as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term is due to be formally submitted. Sign in the background reads, "no to a 5th term." (AP PhotoClaude Paris)
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.
Demonstrators stage a protest to denounce President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, in Marseille, southern France, Sunday, March 3, 2019. Algeria's Constitutional Council has been placed under high security as President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term is due to be formally submitted. (AP PhotoClaude Paris)
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.