Macron calls for transition period in Algeria as Bouteflika abandons quest for 5th term

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to abandon his quest for a fifth term in power has opened a new chapter in the country’s history. Macron also called for a transition period of “reasonable duration.” Bouteflika bowed to weeks of mass demonstrations against his 20-year rule late on Monday, but also postponed an election that was due in April, promising social and economic reforms in the former French colony, Reuters reports. Macron gave no details about what he considered to be a reasonable transition period.