Rumour of President Bouteflika’s demise is premature.
A post on the blog of French journalist Alain Julles caused pandemonium in Algiers on Friday night. The journalist asserted that President Abdelaiz Bouteflika was clinically dead in a Swiss clinic. There were some 200,000 hits on the journalist’s blog.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Rumour-of-Presi...
The President has suffered ill health for sometime and has reduced his schedule and no longer travels abroad as frequently as he did. State media never comment on the President’s health as if it were a state secret.
One fact that led some credence to the rumour was that the President did not meet Prime Minister Sellal on his appointment which is traditional nor did he receive the outgoing Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.
Algerians and even apparently Ambassador’s tried to find out about the President’s health and whereabouts over the weekend. It is a testimony to the opaque nature of government in Algeria.
The spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Amar Belani, finally reacted on the TSA website, saying it is "malicious rumours that do not honor their authors and do not deserve “ Such attention, as they are unworthy and contemptible. "
Then a very much alive President Bouteflika is seen greeting the Belgian Ambassador and the rumour is scotched.
One fact that led some credence to the rumour was that the President did not meet Prime Minister Sellal on his appointment which is traditional nor did he receive the outgoing Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia.
Algerians and even apparently Ambassador’s tried to find out about the President’s health and whereabouts over the weekend. It is a testimony to the opaque nature of government in Algeria.
The spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Amar Belani, finally reacted on the TSA website, saying it is "malicious rumours that do not honor their authors and do not deserve “ Such attention, as they are unworthy and contemptible. "
Then a very much alive President Bouteflika is seen greeting the Belgian Ambassador and the rumour is scotched.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Rumour-of-Presi...