President of Algeria

Abdelaziz Bouteflika (born March 2, 1937) is the president of Algeria (since 1999).

He was a leader in the Algerian War of Independence, and became a Youth and Sports Minister of independent Algeria in 1962. The next year he was made foreign minister, and a member of the legislative assembly. During his tenure as foreign minister, Algeria became a very prominent member of the international community, and was regarded as a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement of nations who did not wish to take part in the US-led capitalist camp or the Soviet-led communist bloc. He resigned as foreign minister in 1979, after losing a bid to succeed to the late President Houari Boumedienne.

From 1981 to 1987 he was in exile due to allegations of corruption waged by his political opponents, but returned after the case was dropped. He signed a protest against alleged government brutality in 1988, and stepped out of the limelight.

In 1999 he ran for president and was elected as an independent candidate, with 74% of the votes, according to the authorities. All the other candidates had withdrawn from the election, citing fraud concerns. Bouteflika subsequently organized a referendum on his policies to restore peace and security to Algeria and to test his support among his countrymen after the contested election and won with 81% of the vote.

On April 8, 2004, he was re-elected by 85% of the vote in an election that was praised by observers as an example of democracy in the Arab world, while contested by his rival and former Chief of Staff Ali Benflis.