Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has attempted to calm angry protests by pledging to hold early elections, which he will not contest, if he wins April's poll. But his bid for a new term may have hit a stumbling block, as electoral officials cast doubt over the validity of his candidacy.
"I have heard the cries of the protesters, in particular the young people," declared the president in a communiqué read out on national television on Sunday evening.
"I pledge not to be a candidate in that election which will ensure I am succeeded in undeniable conditions of serenity, freedom and transparency," the letter read.
Bouteflika, who celebrated his 82nd birthday on Saturday remains in Geneva for medical treatment.
The veteran leader uses a wheelchair and has rarely been seen in public since his stroke in 2013.
Bouteflika's decision to run for a fifth mandate was announced earlier on Sunday by his campaign manager Abdelghani Zaalene.
Enduring support vs rising anger
Zaalene pointed out that the president is still very popular and that he had garnered more than 5 million sponsors.
Bouteflika's bid to placate demonstrators came after tens of thousands of Algerians took to the streets in the biggest challenge to the authorities in years.
The announcement also lead to an outpouring of anger, in several cities in France.
In his statement, Bouteflika vowed that if he won a fifth term, he would organise an inclusive, independent national conference, which would select a date for the early presidential election.
He also promised to hold a referendum to modify the constitution.
Furthermore, he said he would oversee a fairer redistribution of national wealth.
The announcements failed to appease protesters, who held rallies that lasted late into the night against in Oran, Tiaret and Constantine.
"It's exactly what happened in 2011-2012 after the so-called Arab Spring," Algerian sociologist Nasser Djabi told RFI. "But the people saw it just as a smokescreen because the situation didn't really change.
"The political system in Algeria is blocked. So people will continuously ask, 'Is this the same thing? Will the same scenario repeat itself?'"
Doubt over Bouteflika's candidacy
There remained a question mark on Monday as to whether Bouteflika's candidacy will be accepted, after Abdelwahab Derbal, the president of the Independent Election Surveillance Committee (HIISE), declared that all candidates "must file their applications in person".
The Algerian press agency, APS, reported that Bouteflika's campaign director had filed his candidacy for him on Sunday, a few hours before the deadline.
Naoufel Brahimi El Mili, a professor of politics at Sciences Po University in Paris, says Bouteflika’s failure to present his candidature in person may throw a spanner in the works.
Speaking to RFI's partner station, FRANCE 24, he dismissed the president’s offer of snap elections as ‘souk bargaining tactics’ aimed at securing himself a smooth exit from power without losing face.
Naoufel Brahimi El Mili, a professor of politics at Sciences Po University in Paris, talks to FRANCE 24 about Algeria's election.
