Taleb Ibrahimi, Benyelles and Yahia Abdenour say “no” to a fourth mandate by Bouteflika

Three well-known national figures including Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi, Rachid Benyelles and Ali Yahia Abdenour have called on all the “wholesome forces of Algeria” to oppose “through all peaceful means” a fourth straight mandate by incumbent President Abdellaziz Bouteflika.

The three personalities have issued a rare public call for the ailing president not to run for a fourth term in April’s presidential election and to retire instead.

The three said President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 76, is too infirm to run again and called for a boycott of the upcoming election if he did.

While incumbent Bouteflika hasn’t said if he will stand as candidate again, he is widely expected to do so at the constant prodding of his supporters close to the ruling elite, despite suffering from a stroke early last year.

The statement was issued Monday in Algiers by Ahmed Taleb Ibrahimi, a former foreign minister, Rachid Benyelles, a former retired Army General and former transport minister, and the honorary president of the League for Defense of Human Rights, Ali Yahia Abdenour.

The three figures described President Bouteflika’s 15 years in power since 1999 as “disastrous” stressing that the country was now in need of a sweeping and salutary change at all levels of governance.

Taleb Ibrahimi and Rachid Benyelles both ran as candidates against Abdellaziz Bouteflika for the presidency in 1999 but they didn’t fare well in the final vote tally.

Bitter rows between Algeria’s ruling establishment are emerging day-in day-out ahead of the decisive April 17 presidential elections.