Despite Bouteflika�s departure, protesters have continued to stage mass demonstrations each Friday. The resultant frustration has led to frequent protests, demonstrations and civil disobedience throughout the country. Algerians took to the streets in celebration on 11 March 2019 after ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that he had abandoned his decision to seek a fifth term, bowing to weeks of mass demonstrations against his 20-year rule.

Voter turnout stood at 33 percent at 5pm local time (16:00 GMT), just two hours before polls closed, according to Algeria's independent election monitoring authority.

Tebboune faced a difficult task to be accepted by the electorate in the North African country, where many citizens see the government as inept, corrupt and unable to manage the flagging economy.

The political structure is aging. They want regime figures including army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah and interim President Abdelkader Bensalah to step down ahead of any poll and demand new independent institutions to oversee voting. They took to the streets on the 42nd consecutive Friday of protests against the "shadowy" ruling elite, which had controlled Algeria since its independence in 1962.

Since the start of the campaign, Tebboune has sought to distance himself from his years of service under Bouteflika. The �Algeria Stand Up� (Alg�rie � Debout! ) However, the men on the ballot all have close links with the establishment, and though some of them pushed for reforms, many still see them as part of an entrenched, unchanging elite. Security forces had been mostly restrained. There are no presidential term limits, and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been in office since 1999. Since October 2019, police suppression of protesters in Algiers has involved violence: using riot gear and batons. The uncertain outcome of this process appears to worry elements of the regime. People know this and are sick of it." �Once again, civil society is offering the answers, not the state.�, @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px) { In August 2019, Netblocks, a study on Internet shutdowns found that Youtube and Google services were blocked by state-run Algeria Telecom and other Internet providers after a political opposition video was posted. The next president would likely be chosen from a score of candidates running for the election, such as PM Ahmed Ouyahia, former PM Abdelmalek Sellal and former Energy Minister Chakib Khelil.

"Regime murderers," groups of flag-waving demonstrators chanted as riot police blocking their route used tear gas to prevent protesters from reaching key central locations. "The army will meet the people's demands," he told military personnel at a base on 10 April 2019, once again denouncing the corrupt "gang" running the country. For the moment, Boutelika was expected to formally present his candidacy by Sunday�s deadline.

No major party has nominated a candidate.

Both sides (the people and the establishment or military) see the constitution as the ultimate arbiter, but differ in their interpretations of it.

Protesters had ambitious demands in a country long- dominated by veterans of the 1954-1962 independence war against France, now seen by many Algerians as too old and out of touch. (function(src){var a=document.createElement("script");a.type="text/javascript";a.async=true;a.src=src;var b=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];b.parentNode.insertBefore(a,b)})("//experience.tinypass.com/xbuilder/experience/load?aid=bYdYZQml5V"); On 22 February 2019, Algerians took to the streets to protestPresident Abdelaziz Bouteflika�s attempt to run for a fifth mandate. You have a country that is potentially extremely rich. In a statement on state television, the constitutional council said it had received only two candidates, who were deemed invalid.

Upper house chairman Abdelkader Bensalah will reportedly be caretaker president for 45 days.

The demonstrations came a week after tens of thousands of people rallied in the North African state against 81-year-old Bouteflika's decision to stand in the April 18 election. Some predicted the pandemic, which now leaves Algeria with Africa�s biggest reported death toll, may unravel the largely peaceful Hirak protest movement born early in 2019.

Since they began, Algerian authorities arrested more than a hundred protesters, journalists and activists, violating their rights to freedom of expression and association under the Algerian constitution and under international law. }

"We swear we will not stop!"

Foreign observers characterized the elections as largely peaceful but noted low voter turnout and a high rate of ballot invalidity.

The Hirak protests, which broke out across Algerian cities, were caused by the president�s announcement to run for re-election while ill in hospital and widely considered unfit for office.

More than 24 million people were eligible to vote.