Algeria to hold presidential election on December 12

Algeria’s interim leader has announced December 12 as the date for the presidential election. The move is in line with the army chief’s demand to fill the vacancy left when longtime leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika was pushed from office more than five months ago.

During an address to the North African nation on Sunday night, Abdelkader Bensallah called on citizens to make December 12 “a historic day to make the dreams of our people concrete.”

The powerful army chief, Ahmed Gaid Salah, has been pushing for elections as quickly as possible, AP reported.

However, a pro-democracy movement holding weekly protests since February wants time to organize elections that ensure all traces of the old system are gone.