81 year old President Bouteflika urged to consider re-running for election

Earlier this week, Algeria‘s biggest union Algeria’s urged President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Tuesday to seek a fifth term in office in a further sign that the veteran leader will run in next year’s elections in the North African oil producer.

Reuters reported that the union has backed Bouteflika, 81, since he took office in 1999. His fourth term will end by the first half of 2019 when elections are expected.

The Algerian leader is rarely seen in public following a stroke in 2013 and he is wheelchair-bound.

But, though he has not declared his intention yet of running, speculation is mounting that he will seek a fifth term after he made a rare public appearance last month in the capital Algiers.

Source Reuters