Hundreds of Lawyers marched in the Algerian capital Algiers on Thursday in the latest protest against ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to seek a fifth term in office.
The North African country has been rocked by massive demonstrations against the 82-year-old president since he announced in February his intention to run for a new term.
Bouteflika has been in power since 1999.
Clad in black robes, the lawyers gathered outside the Constitutional Council, a commission in charge of handling potential contenders’ candidacy for the April 18, presidential polls.
Bouteflika suffered a stroke in 2013 and is rarely seen in public.
He travelled to Geneva on Feb. 24, for medical check-ups, and it is not clear if he has since returned to the country.
Bouteflika’s fitness for staying in power has been an open question since he stood for the 2014 presidential vote, which he won.
He confirmed his bid for a new term on Sunday, promising massive reforms and to leave the post early if re-elected.