President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said in a letter addressed to Algerians on Saturday that his poor health would not prevent him from running for a fourth term and promised constitutional reforms if he wins the April 17 election.

Bouteflika, 77, registered his candidacy earlier this month despite suffering from a stroke last year that opponents say has left him unfit to campaign or govern the North African oil producer for another five years.

In the letter published by APS state news agency, Bouteflika gave his most detailed remarks yet about his intentions although he has spoken and appeared rarely in public since the illness that put him into a Paris hospital for months.

"It would cost me dearly to remain deaf to your calls. I decided not to disappoint you and offer myself as a candidate for the presidential election ... and give all my energy to fulfilling your wishes," the letter said.

With the backing of the dominant National Liberation Front (FLN) party, loyal army factions and unions, Bouteflika is almost assured victory in Algeria, a key partner in Washington's campaign against armed insurgencies in the Maghreb.

Official campaigning starts Sunday and loyalists portray Bouteflika as the man who helped stabilize Algeria after its 1990s war, a conflict that left many Algerians still wary of political upheaval.

But critics say since its 1962 independence from France, Algerian politics have been dominated by FLN elites and army generals who, while competing behind the scenes for influence, see themselves as guarantors of stability.

Since his illness, Bouteflika's allies have pushed to strengthen his position by reducing the influence of the country's powerful military intelligence chief. Those political rivalries may resurface if Bouteflika's health fades during a fourth term, analysts say, but would not threaten the country's continued stability.