Bouteflika “stands up” to receive Ibrahimi

Images of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika standing up had been broadcast on Monday on TV for the first time since he came back from Paris as they showed him shaking hands with former foreign minister and the UN and Arab League’s special envoy Lakhdar Ibrahimi.

 President Bouteflika looked in better shape as he used to remain sitting in his chair. He was also seen moving his hands.

Bouteflika was taken to Val De Grace hospital in Paris on April 27 as he suffered a stroke. Previous images and videos showed him sitting in a chair during meetings with the Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and vice-defense minister Ahmed Gaid Saleh. He was also seen sitting as he took a picture with ministers in a cabinet meeting held on September 29th.

Algeria’s TV channel showed two children from the president’s family who entered the room where he met his guest. Bouteflika and Ibrahim kissed them. That raises questions about the message meant to be transmitted through this image.

A debate has been caused following those images about the possibility that Bouteflika would run for office in the next presidential elections.

Earlier, former health minister Djamel Ould Abbas said the president will supervise his electoral campaign.

This comes as Sellal had said Bouteflika will not leave power while allegiance parties announced their support to the president. The FLN, RND, Algeria’s Hope Rally and the Algerian Popular Front announced Bouteflika as their candidate for the forthcoming elections.

Algerian communication minister Abdelkader Messahel said the elections will be held on the scheduled date.

The FLN’s leader Amar Saidani gave an instruction to start preparing for an electoral campaign for President Bouteflika. His rival at the RND Abdelkader Bensaleh announced his party’s support to Bouteflika to remain in power for a new term.

Bouteflika talked to Ibrahim about latest developments in the Middle East including the Syrian crisis.