Weakened since 2013 by a stroke, 82-year-old Bouteflika has been facing the most serious protests since he came to power in 1999.
Article 102 of the constitution also provides for the procedure to be followed in case of resignation of the country’s president.
“It has become necessary, even imperative to adopt a solution out of the crisis, which responds to the legitimate demands of the Algerian people, and which guarantees the respect of the provisions of the constitution and the maintenance of state sovereignty”, General Ahmed Gaïd Salah said in a speech broadcast on national television.
“One solution to reach a consensus of all the visions and to achieve unanimity of all parties, is the one stipulated by the constitution, in its article 102,” he pointed out.
Article 102 of the constitution provides that the Parliament, on the proposal of the Constitutional Council “reunited by right”, declares by a majority of two-thirds, the state of incapacity when “the President of the Republic, due to serious and protracted illness is totally unable to fulfill his presidential duties.”
The president of the Council of Nation (upper house) shall then take over for 45 days.
If the sitting president’s “incapacity” continues at the end of this period, the position of the presidency shall be declared vacant.
The interim leader shall continue for a maximum of 90 days during which a presidential election is organized.