Iran Press/Africa: Thousands of Algerians have rallied in the capital, Algiers, to commemorate one year since the beginning of a protest movement demanding the departure of an ailing leader and sweeping reforms, including an overhaul of the ruling elite.
Protesters began staging weekly demonstrations in mid-February last year after the ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) announced that former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a wheelchair-bound octogenarian rarely seen in public, would seek a fifth term in office.
Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad this week said corruption and mismanagement resulted in a "delicate" economic situation for Algeria, an OPEC member country that is also experiencing the negative effect of falling global crude oil prices.
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