Algerian Interim President Names New Constitutional Council Head Amid Calls For Change

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2019) Algeria's interim president Abdelkader Bensalah on Tuesday named Kamel Feniche as the head of the Constitutional Council after his predecessor quit amid protests, state media said.

"The head of state accepted the resignation of Tayeb Belaiz and appointed Kamel Feniche president of the Constitutional Council," the president's office said in a communique cited by the APS news agency.

Feniche's job puts him second in line to presidency should Bensalah stand down. The removal of Belaiz, a close ally of the ousted Algerian president, was demanded by protesters.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the North African nation's long-time leader, stepped down on April 2 after weeks of anti-government protests. But demonstrators continued their sit-in in the capital of Algiers on Tuesday demanding that all of his loyalists should go.