Bouteflika seeks fifth term as Algeria's president Published duration 10 February 2019

image copyright Getty Images image caption Mr Bouteflika was spotted voting in local elections in a rare public outing in November

Algeria's 81-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will seek a fifth term in April's elections, he announced in a message published by state media.

Mr Bouteflika has been in office for 20 years but has rarely been seen in public since he had a stroke in 2013.

He insisted his "unwavering desire" to serve Algeria allowed him to "transcend the constraints of health concerns".

Critics say this makes it difficult for him to carry out his duties.

He is confined to a wheelchair and has cancelled recent official meetings.

Mr Bouteflika's last meeting with a senior foreign official was during a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in September. An earlier meeting with her had been cancelled.

However, Mr Bouteflika is widely expected to win the April election, says BBC Arabic's Ahmed Rouaba.

Is he the oldest world leader?

No, by quite a stretch.

The world's oldest elected leader is 93-year-old Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

"Yes, yes, I am still alive," he quipped to the crowd at a news conference.

Mr Bouteflika can look closer to home to find another elected president who is quite a few years older than himself.

Algeria's neighbour, Tunisia, is led by 92-year-old President Beji Caid Essebsi.

Related Topics Abdelaziz Bouteflika

Algeria