Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced Thursday that he wound run for a third presidential term in the coming elections.
Speaking to a rally in the capital Algiers, the 71-year-old president said he will stand as an independent candidate to run for the elections, which will take place on April 9.
"The people have the right to choose in all freedom," said the veteran politician to thousands of his cheering supporters.
He said he wants "to pursue the implementation of my program, notably national reconciliation," which has led thousands of Islamist rebels to lay down arms.
The program including amnesty for former militants was aimed to heal the wounds of an Islamic insurgency that wrecked the North African coutry in the 1990s.
Bouteflika has been long and widely anticipated to run again despite concerns about his health in recent years.
In November, the Algerian parliament passed a constitutional amendment to lift a two-term presidential limit, removing the obstacle on him way to run for re-election.
On Oct. 29, Bouteflika unveiled the amendments in a speech broadcast live at the headquarters of the Supreme Constitutional Court, highlighting the importance of a constitutional change to provide "stability, efficiency and continuity" for the oil-rich country.
Bouteflika took power in 1999 and was elected again in 2004, Xinhua reported.
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