Report: Zeroual forced out

Well-informed sources told London-based al-Quds al-Arabi that Algerian President Liamine Zeroual was forced to resign and organize early presidential elections.

In its Tuesday edition the paper said that according to the same sources a meeting was held on Monday, September 7 at the headquarters of the Republic's Presidency. It was an urgent meeting attended by the army's commander in chief, Lt. Gen. Muhammad al-Imadi; the commander of the intelligence, Gen. Muhammad Madani, known as Tawfiq; and Madani's deputy, Ismael al-Ammari. President Zeroual and his advisor also attended the meeting.

These army chiefs asked President Zeroual to resign and threatened him to decide on this matter within 24 hours. The paper added that Algeria was then proceeding towards real progress "on the African way."

It added that the actual leaders were ready to announce a national unity government on the morning of September 8. Yet, it indicated that former Algerian Defense Minister Khaled Nizar played the role of the mediator between the two sides.