Bouteflika to announce candidacy for President in Feb or March, says party leader

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is expected to announce run for office by late February or early March 2009 leader of major political party said Thursday.

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• “The alliance parties must learn from previous presidential elections and not commit errors undermining the president’s electoral campaign,” Abu Djerra Soltani, leader of Society of Peace Movement (MSP) told a state radio.
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• Algeria’s major political parties: the FLN, the RND and the MSP constituted the political alliance in 2002 loyal to President Bouteflika.
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• “I urged the alliance leaders to adopt a new strategy in the next presidential elections by sharing positive and negative points,” Soltani said.
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• He also said he was not against the presence of international observers in the elections as “we do not have anything to hide,” he stressed.
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• Abu djerra told state radio Thursday did not show any opposition on international observers to observe next presidential elections “we don’t have anything to hide”
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• Bouteflika, reaching the end of his second and final term changed the Constitution to put no limit for a president to be re-elected.
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• In November, Algerian Parliament adopted the new constitution allowing him a third term in the forthcoming presidential elections.
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• Opposition says Bouteflika uses the constitutional amendment as a trick to stay in power while his allies believe his initiative would promote freedoms and democracy in Algeria.