New president elected, army chief dead: Algeria protesters march for reforms

In Algeria, the pro-democracy demonstrators have not relented in their calls for reforms. They again hit the streets of Algiers capital on Tuesday, despite it being gazetted as the day of mourning in memory of the deceased army chief of staff Gaid Salah.

Seen as the real holder of power since Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s departure in April, Salah died Monday of a heart attack at the age of 79 on Monday. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared three days of mourning.

“The death of Gaïd Salah was a surprise. The movement is not limited to Gaïd Salah, may God have mercy on him, nor to other government personalities.

‘The movement calls for a radical and real change in the regime in power, and this movement is an attempt to recover our rights, the rights we claim and fight for,” one protester said.

The demonstrators are determined to dismantle the system left behind by Boutéflika. They have denounced the new president as a product of Bouteflika’s legacy.

“Gaïd Salah is dead, we ask God to have mercy on him, and as human beings we pray for him. Like any man, he often made mistakes, he was right. But we are against this system, because it is a racist system that separates Algerians.”

Eight months after Bouteflika stepped down, Algeria is still gripped by a political crisis. Analysts say the military will continue to hold significant influence in the country….

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