Pro-Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's elections signs are pictured on

Pro-Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's elections signs are pictured on the wall, reading 'Algeria strong and secure' during an election rally on February 12, 2009 in Algiers. Bouteflika, 72, announced he would run in the poll scheduled for April 9, he is tipped as certain to win at a meeting attended by some 5,000 people amid strict security measures, including the jamming of mobile phones. Bouteflika's candidacy, long considered a near certainty, has been denounced by the opposition, which was left seething three months ago when parliament passed a constitutional amendment lifting a two-term presidential limit.
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