Algeria's Ruling Party Hedges Bets and Backs Protesters
- President’s allies quickly jumping ship as protests mount
- Army is increasingly signaling its support for the people
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Photographer: Ryad Kramdi/AFP via Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
Algeria’s ruling party on Wednesday voiced support for protesters demanding the country’s embattled president step down, in the latest signal of growing rifts within the ruling powers.
In comments carried by Algerian television, National Liberation Front chief Moued Bouchareb said Abdelaziz Bouteflika “understood the popular protests and its demands.” A statement issued by the party’s brass after a testy meeting, however, stopped short of withdrawing its backing for the ailing 82-year-old leader who remains determined to stay on to steer the country’s transition.