Algerian protest leaders call on army to stay out of politics

A new group headed by political leaders, opposition figures and activists called on Algeria’s generals to stay out of politics as it pressed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the government to quit. In the first direct message to the army from leaders emerging from mass protests against Bouteflika, the National Coordination for Change said the military should “play its constitutional role without interfering in the people’s choice.” The organization demanded that Bouteflika should step down before the end of his term on April 28, and that the government resign immediately. Generals have traditionally wielded power from behind the scenes in Algeria but have stepped in at pivotal moments. In 1992, the army cancelled elections that an Islamist party was set to win, triggering a long civil war that killed an estimated 200,000 people, Reuters said. Throughout the recent unrest, soldiers have stayed in their barracks.