Algerian president will not nominate himself for presidency

Algerian President Liamine Zeroual announced that presidential elections will be held before the end of this current presidency, saying in a speech, reported by Algerian television that the vote will be held before March 1999.

"I have officially decided... To call for early presidential elections so that the Algerian people will choose the country's next leader," Zeroual said in the speech.

Zeroual said he will not nominate himself this time, adding that Algeria has entered a new era of democracy during the current stage of his presidency, thus launching the presidential elections in an early proves Algerian political multiplicity has become a tangible reality since the cancellation of elections in 1992 that Islamist candidates were poised to win. The cancellation sparked violence that has claimed the lives of as many as 80,000 Algerians.

"It is time to choose another leader for the country," the Algerian president said, noting that the elections would be preceded by a new round of dialogue with the political parties to discuss the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, Algeria said that four persons were killed and 40 injured in a bomb explosion yesterday evening in western Algeria.

Elsewhere, Algerian forces killed five armed people in the jungle of Barabra in Shalaf state, and Armed Islamic Group leader Jihad Abdul El-Aak in the city of Kasentina.