- Title: Algerians protest against presidential elections under old guard
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: ALGIERS, ALGERIA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS MARCHING DOWN STREET CHANTING, CARRYING ALGERIAN FLAGS PROTESTERS WAVING ALGERIAN FLAG MARCH IN PROGRESS, PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS AND CHANTING WOMEN DRAPED IN FLAGS, CHANTING PROTESTER HOLDING SIGN READING (Arabic): "No to foreign interference. Down with the election of gangs." PROTESTER, NASSIMA, SHOUTING (Arabic): "(We want a) Civil state, listen you traitors." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, NASSIMA (SURNAME UNKNOWN), SAYING: "First of all, no elections (to be held) until the 'gang' is removed. We want a civilian government, a civil state, not a military state. We want the law above everyone, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press - this is the only way to build our country." PROTESTERS HOLDING ALGERIAN FLAGS CHANTING (Arabic): "No to holding elections until the 'gangs' are removed'." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, SABER (SURNAME UNKNOWN), SAYING: "We want (Interim president Abdelkader) Bensalah and (Prime Minster Noureddine) Bedoui to leave, and to change the committee of dialogue to an independent committee chosen by the people and which guarantees people to go to real and honest elections, not fake ones." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, HAKIM (SURNAME UNKNOWN), SAYING: "I am not just a student, I am a citizen and, God willing, there won't be elections, people are saying no to the elections, power belongs to the people and the people say there won't be any elections." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING BY POLICE VARIOUS OF MARCH IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 17:23
- Keywords: Algeria protests students election ruling elite Algerians protest against presidential elections
- Location: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- City: ALGIERS, ALGERIA
- Country: Algeria
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9P3RB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Protesters opposing the election that Algeria's veteran ruling cadre has set for December took to the streets of the capital on Tuesday (October 1) calling for the election to not be held whilst members of the ruling elite remain in power.
Protesters marched through central Algiers chanting, "No to the gang," referring to members of ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's establishment who remain in charge.
Weekly demonstrations since February have demanded that the old guard who have held power since independence from France in 1962 leave power, resisting both pressure and concessions aimed at getting them off the streets.
Since protesters forced Bouteflika to quit in April, the standoff between them and the authorities has focused on elections, which protesters say will not be free or fair.
Army chief of staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah has been pushing for a vote for months as the only way out of the constitutional limbo created by Bouteflika's departure and the postponement of an election that had been due in July.
Protesters who marched on Tuesday also demanded political freedoms, an independent judiciary and freedom of the press, with one protester saying that these were the only way to build the country.
(Production: Abdelaziz Boumzar, Seham Eloraby, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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