Algerian army chief calls for dismissal of ailing president

ALGIERS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Algerian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaed Salah on Tuesday called for the dismissal of the President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for health-related reasons.

"We must adopt a consensus solution that meets all legitimate demands of the Algerian people and respects the Constitution, and guarantees the continuity of the state's sovereignty," said the army chief.

He called for the use of Article 102 of the Constitution, which allows the Constitutional Council to declare the position of president vacant when the country's leader is unable to perform his duty "because of serious and lasting illness."

The opposition party has been calling for the implementation of the Article 102 since 2013, when Bouteflika suffered a stroke, and has since rarely made public appearances.

On March 11, Bouteflika postponed the presidential elections scheduled for April 18, and pledged not to run for a fifth term in office, after nationwide protests broke out against his earlier decision to pursue a fifth presidential term.

In case Article 102 is implemented, Speaker of the Council of the Nation (upper house of parliament), Abdelkader Bensalah, would rule the country for a transition period of 135 days to prepare for the election of a new president.