Algerian presidential election campaign to start on March 23

According to the law on the electoral system, "the campaign will kick off 25 days ahead of the election and will stop three days before it. Thus, it will take place between March 23 to April 13," Talbi told the National Radio.

So far, 42 candidates have started gathering the required 60, 000 signatures of eligible voters or 600 local elected officials before being qualified to submit their applications for the election.

The Constitutional Council said on Monday that the deadline for submitting applications is March 4.

The presidential elections will be monitored by two bodies, including the National Commission on Election Monitoring, composed of representatives of political parties and independent candidates, and the National Commission for the Supervision of Elections, composed of magistrates, according to the report.

Current President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was first elected in 1999, was re-elected in 2004 and 2009 for five-year terms.

Bouteflika has the right to run for a fourth term, but he has not announced his candidacy.

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