UPDATED: Algeria’s prime minister resigns

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad resigned on Thursday, opening the door for President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to name a new cabinet, state TV said.

A new government will have to tackle a deep financial and economic crisis due to a fall in oil prices.

Djerad’s resignation follows a parliamentary election on June 12 that was marked by a low turnout and no majority winner after two years of mass protests and political turmoil.

The military-dominated establishment believes replacing the parliament and constitution is the best way to end the biggest crisis in decade, a source told Reuters. The Hirak protest movement is demanding an uprooting of the entire system.

Algeria remains an important gas supplier to southern European countries, and is a U.S. partner in the fight against Islamist extremists in the region.

Photo: File photo of an Algerian policeman guarding a checkpoint. EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA