Algerian President, 82, resigns after 20 years in power

The 82-year-old leader announced his resignation on the evening of April 2 in a brief message from the president's office saying he had "informed the president of the constitutional council of his decision to terminate his position."

According toGuardianAlgerians waved flags in celebration on the streets of the capital Algiers.

The president suffered a stroke in 2013 and has rarely been seen in public since. His brother Saïd is believed to be running the country behind the scenes with a team of aides known as Le Pouvoir.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned on April 2, ending two decades in power. Photo: Irish Times.

Protesters have taken to the streets peacefully every Friday night since February 22, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. In less than six weeks, they have forced Mr Bouteflika to cancel his bid for a fifth term and relinquish power.

Pressure mounted when the head of Algeria’s powerful army, Ahmed Gaïd Salah, called on Mr Bouteflika to resign immediately on the evening of April 2. Salah called for a constitutional provision that the president was no longer fit to hold power to be applied.

Other powerful figures, including former prime minister Ahmed Ouyahia, have also called for Mr Bouteflika to go.

After the 82-year-old leader steps down, Senate Speaker Abdelkader Bensalah will become interim president for 90 days until elections are held.

But protesters are starting to demand more than just Bouteflika's ouster. They plan to return to the streets on Friday. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. We want it all gone. People are in the center of Algiers, celebrating this small victory, shouting that it's just the beginning," said Yasmine Bouchene of the group Les Jeunes Engagés (Young Activists).